Quick report
- Aspect
- Northwest
- Red Flags
- Cracking, Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3078 m
- Slope Angle
- 27°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Lots of weak faceted snow on high elevation W-N-E where snowpack depth is less than 150cm.</p>
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>This Monday's storm snow sits on top of storm snow and wind slab from last Thursday's strong frontal passage. These snow layers sit on top of near surface facets on W-N-E facing slopes at mid and high elevations. Extended Column Tests showed propagation with medium friction on this NSF layer where wind had consolidated a slab above. In shallow snowpack areas the rest of the full depth of the snowpack is very sugary faceted snow which a slab failure in the upper snowpack could easily gouge down through to the ground likely entraining a great deal of snow. Other snow layer interfaces with weak, faceted snow are also possible in locations more prone to wind deposition and slab formation.</p> <p>Warm temperatures, clear skies and pounding sun are affecting a wider and wider swath of cold winter snow each day. Daytime heating of the solar half of the compass, at all elevations may produce natural wet activity.</p>
Storm total from monday settled to around 4'' in sheltered areas at 9500' as of this morning.