Quick report
- Aspect
- East
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Collapsing
- Elevation
- 2499 m
- Slope Angle
- 30°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Collapsing observed on the ridge of Garden City Bowls but none observed on eastern slopes, even the 30° wind blown slopes at the northeastern end of the ridge.</p>
Despite the snowpack observations of a persistent weak layer below the Christmas snow slab, no collapsing or cracking was observed on the 30° slopes in the northern end of the Garden City Bowls area. This was contradicted by an ECTN test that collapsed at 16 strikes. It appears the storm slab is strong enough to support a skier, which may not be the case everywhere, especially in areas around trees and rocks where the slab may be thinner. These slopes had been skied at least a half dozen times in the last two days.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>On top of the ridge there was clearly snow transport from the previous few days. </p> <p>A snow pit on the northeastern slopes of the Garden City Bowls area showed the presence of the persistent weak layer (4 to 6" thick faceted sugar) below the Christmas storm snow (10 to 12" of dense powder).</p>
1/2" to 3/4" thick collapsible, hollow wind crust on the ridge between Swan Flat road and Garden City Bowls. Similar wind crust on the northeastern slopes of Garden City Bowls. Powder in the central Garden City Bowls.