Quick report
- Aspect
- Northeast
- Red Flags
- Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3353 m
- Slope Angle
- 33°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Some isolated cracking and collapsing in areas of wind drifted snow below treeline. Additionally, almost the entire snowpack below treeline is faceted and I was able to get some loose dry snow moving on steep protected slopes below treeline. Avalanches here now will be small, but can take you off your feet. </p>
I ventured over to the East side of Mellenthin to check out an area I have been wanting to. It was a mixed bag of snow conditions but I was able to find soft quality turns in steep northerly facing terrain. Below treeline the entire snowpack is faceted and I was able to produce a few small loose/dry slides. While small, they can take you off your feet. Nearing teeline and above, the snow is hard from the wind. There is a stout wind crust that is difficult to break through with your probe and there was no collapsing or cracking above tree line other than in isolated, small wind drifts that are protected by small trees or other drifts.
Here is an old slide near/below tree line in open/rocky terrain
I dug a pit at 11000 on a NE aspect. The snowpack is almost entirely faceted but there was a pronounced weak layer of fist hard facets between 13-23cm. Above this there is 4F facets and a small layer of wind blow snow on top. I did an extended column test and got ECTN17 on the weak layer at 13cm
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>If we do ever get a loading event with some new snow conditions will change. Like previously stated, snow below treeline protected by trees or on northerly aspects is almost entirely faceted. I dug a pit at 11000' on a NE aspect. There is a pronounced weak layer of loose sugary snow between the 13 and 23cm mark with a 4F slab of faceted snow on top. I will be cautious below tree line on sparsely treed slopes more than 30 degrees when we do get some new snow.</p> <p>Previous wind drifted snow has created isolated areas of snow drifts. </p>
It was a mixed bag of snow conditions today. Below treeline the snow is faceted, loose and sugary in areas protected by trees and on Northly aspects. Exposed areas below treeline have a mixture of firm wind crusts and snow drifted snow. There did seem to be a melt/freeze crust on solar aspects at lower elevations. Above tree line has been hammered by wind and the snow is very hard with areas of slightly softer wind drifted snow. I probed snow depths of 60cm at 11000' on a NE slope and 90-110cm at 11500' on a NE ridgeline above treeline.