Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
1-Obvious buried surface hoar and near surface facets.
2-Close up of buried surface hoar.
3-Blocks of soft slab.
4-Crown of intentionally triggered slide on 38 degree N facing slope at 6500 ft.
5-Cracking which we noticed prior to triggering slide.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The way the wind was moving snow today this should be a big problem tomorrow especially with the forecasted new snow and warmer temps. These will be covered with new snow and more difficult to identify.</p> <p>There is a thick soft slab covering buried surface hoar which is easily triggered on slopes greater than 35 degrees. The new snow load should lead to several natural slides by morning. The wind was also starting to load theses low elevation protected areas by mid afternoon.</p>
Soft snow from yesterday was still present in wind sheltered areas. Theses areas were the same areas where buried surface hoar and facets were located. We intentionally triggered several soft slabs on steep low elevation wind sheltered slopes. See photos below. Also video on Instagram @brandt.bill
Yesterday we intentionally triggered several slides near the slide reported by Doug Wewer at 8700 ft elevation. The weak layer today was much easier to identify as buried surface hoar. I suspect naturals were happening near that location with the strong wind today. We just weren't willing to go there to look for them although that was the original plan. The wind changed our plan.