Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Cracking
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>The weak snow on the surface is getting buried by the new snow. The new snow and wind transport produced sensitive soft slabs in upper elevation north aspects on this weak snow. Ski cuts easily produced shallow soft slab avalanches from about 4"12" deep, up to about 50' across. These poped out right as you tocuhed them with a crack shooting out and producing very fast running slabs. These were running on small grained surface hoar, and NSF that has developed during the high pressure. The acceleration and speed and size of these could become troublesome if caught underneath or in the wrong terrian. If the winds keep up, these could grown into a thicker more problematic slab. The new snow was not sensitive on all other aspects observed. </p>
Picture of a large cornice that has started to pull and calve off the ridge either during the storm last week, or the warming this week. These things are large and will be growing larger if the winds keep up. Next two pictures are of one of the smaller soft slab crowns. The debris was piling up in the bottom of this zone, and if caught below unaware could partially or even fully bury a person. (sorry, two pictures are stuck sideways)
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The storm slab was very sensitive today on higher north facing terrain, and if caught unaware in the wrong terrain could be problematic.</p> <p>If the winds continue the wind slabs will be growing and would expect these to stiffen up and be fairly sensitive as they change from a soft storm slab to a harder wind slab.</p>
Started to bury some of those unpleasant crusts, but not quite supportable yet. Would expect them to be supportable by tomorrow providing softer riding conditions. Nice riding conditions on the North and East aspects with a small re-set.