Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
Photos and video of Beartrap slide. Small-grained faceted snow, as well as overview of pit. Video discussion of this persistent weak layer.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Persistent slab remains biggest concern. Surface hoar (SH) and faceted snow (NSF) that formed from approximately Jan 13 - 18 is now buried 45 - 90 cms (18-36") down in the snowpack. Spatial variability, and it seems to be more of a problem at the low and mid elevations. I could find some NSF in Maybird this morning, but poor quality shears. I could not find any SH in Maybird. Overall the NSF layer seemed to be gaining strength. ECTX.</p> <p>Visited <a href="https://utahavalanchecenter.org/avalanches/29930">Beartrap slide</a> from Tuesday. This was on a steep SW aspect at 8800'. I found a very reactive layer of NSF sitting just atop temperature crust. This is down 50-60 cms (~2'). On my skin up to look at the slide I dug pits along the way, and on all pits on this aspect I was getting full propagation with extended column tests with Q1 quality (popping out with quite a bit of energy.) At the top of the slope - just above the top of the slide - on a steep (approaching 40 degrees) the extended column was shearing upon isolation. I also got one very loud collapse on this slope.</p> <p>Take home for me - stability in Maybird + reactive persistent layer in another canyon = variable and complex snowpack.</p> <p>For Friday other concerns will be loose snow sluffs as well as loose wet activity on solar aspects.</p>
About 10-15 cms (4-6") in LCC and 5-10 cms (2-4") in BCC.
VERY low-density fluff!