Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Triggered the avalanche to the ground on Little Water (Firewater -see obs)</p>
Photos: Surface hoar (most laying over), small grained chained facets, Mark (and Drew) scratching our heads as to why these notorious weak layers are not avalanching as we thought they might (in our travels).
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Found Saturay night's buried Surface Hoar and near-surface facets in many locations from 8300' to 9400' in the Mill D North to Little Water periphery and found inconsistent test results. These weaknesses noted roughly 30cm down beneath dense storm and wind-affected snow. ECT results noted a couple ECTP3 and ECTP13 but otherwise ECTN. No cracking or collapsing noted; the question being if these weaknesses are weak enough....and/or is there really enough load on them. Surprised that this layering did not produce any avalanches much less a whimper where we traveled. </p> <p>Went fishing for bluegill and hooked a sturgeon (see Firewater avalanche). </p>
Medium density snow with small grained graupel. Fairly consistent southerly winds but only isolated wind effect noted.