Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Certainly the storm came in warm and windy. H20 totals the previous day were respectable and the slew of skier triggered slides Sunday 2/19 was impressive. While of consequence in certain terrain, they were fairly manageable with ski cuts. Today, the snow was more spongy and felt like it had settled quite a bit. No avalanches were seen from the last 12 hours in our terrain today, natural or otherwise. The slab is gaining cohesion and with the wind transport happening at high elevations, would expect the hazard to spike for Tuesday.</p>
Photos: 1.Early clouds and wind in upper MEG 2. Massive Cornice on Silver Creek Peak/Outhouse Ridgeline 3. Pagan Basin Cornice has a cornice on its cornice 4. Photo of Sunday's skier triggered avalanche in Sinner's Pass.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>NW through E facing were getting actively loaded all day, but really prevalent in the hours after 1500. The sensitivity of these slabs were increasing as the day wound down. </p> <p>Massive cornices continue to grow. It reminds me of the Sierra Crest and some of these boxcars are amazing. Car sized cornices are now starting to grow to top of the older cornices that have sagged below the ridgelines.</p>
The settled storm depth at 9500 feet North facing in upper AF canyon is 40cm. Overall HS is 350cm. New snow is bonded quite well to the old sun crust on solars and was surfy and supportable. Wind buffed snow skied well and drifts were stiff and not as sensitive as days prior.