Quick report
- Aspect
- North
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Cracking, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3109 m
- Slope Angle
- 30°
Very easy shears of the new storm snow on the melt/freeze crust from last week on this east facing slope at 10K.
New storm snow, loose snow avalanches on east, west and north facing slopes in the area traveled.
Traveled from 7400 ft.-10,400 ft., all aspects, slope angles to 40°. Observed instability in the storm snow only. Sluffs were running on 35°+ slopes but were fairly easily manageable. That being said, if you were caught off guard you could easily get knocked down in the wrong spot.
Still a lot a spacial variability to consider, especially in rocky terrain with a shallower snowpack. Snow pit tests reflected the new storm snow/temperature crust interface as being weak as well as the deeper early snow/Christmas storm interface. No result on ECT. Temp profiles reflect a healing pattern from last week's temperature crust downward in the pack but the upper portion of the pack is showing a temperature gradient.
Sun/heat influences could effect stability in the near future.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The new snow was sluffing in steeper terrain but was easily managed if you were paying attention. </p>
Nice settled powder. Damp snow on south aspects. Dense wind effected snow in the upper elevation open terrain; up to 4" thick and easily sliding on the new snow. Surface hoar growing at all elevations traveled. Surface and near surface faceting observed as well.