Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p> No big red flags observed today, there was the north winds that were blowing along the high peaks moving snow around, but I did not find much in the way of sensitive wind drifts. The snow pack at the higher elevation was much different than what I found yesterday down low. It is a dry layered snow pack where I dug today right at about tree line and still got a propagating crack although it was harder to initiate and not real clean. </p>
1. A real nice spring storm with increasing snow depths as you made your way up the highway. I was finding between 8-10" of medium to high density snow that really helped fill in some thin spots and the traveling was quite good.
2. I rode by the Steiner weather staion and it was nice to see it has been snowing up high.
3. The new snow was a little on the high density side and helped fill in some terrain and it looked like winter up high. The Lofty weather site had some rime built up from some moist air from the north.
The snow conditions at about tree line around 10,400' were more like a dry winter snow pack with some new snow on top with slightly denser snow moving down until the layer of faceted sugary snow from January/ February dry spell.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Still not sure I would get out onto steep terrain with the current snow pack, although at this elevation I was a little more encouraged to see a slightly stronger set up.</p> <p>No real wind issues today, I think the slightly warm temperatures helped settle any wind drifts, but might see a new round of drifted snow with tomorrows small storm. </p>
A very nice spring storm with upwards of 8-10" up around the 10,000' elevation and the new snow was on the higher density end helping to fill in some terrain that got thin from the warm weather last week.