Quick report
- Red Flags
- Collapsing, Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>The warm-up this week and little to no refreeze at night has weakened the snow pack with very punchy damp snow conditions. A cooler weekend might help to put any wet activity on hold. Some collapses were felt on south facing slopes.</p>
The lower elevations really took a hit this week with patches of pavement showing on the highway and the trailhead is just about melted-out.
Somewhat old news, but a picture of a shallow wind slab that stepped down into old weak snow as it crashed over the rocks below. It is pretty amazing how even high on the slope there is very weak snow that has been there all season long.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Cooler temperatures should help to keep the wet slide activity in check, but with such a weak snow pack even at higher elevations the potential is still there for deeper avalanches to occurr.</p>
Somewhat supportable conditions this morning, but quickly changed with warming and the southerly aspects quickly became damp and soft. The north facing slopes are a mix of settled powder, old wind slabs and sun crusted snow.