Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>I checked wind loading, but not much snow was being blown around. There were some soft stubborn wind slabs that did not want to move much, but manageable in size.</p>
1. Not a great photo, but many areas are getting tracked up and some new snow would improve the riding conditions. 2. Most of the snow today was falling straight down with little wind even on the ridge lines.
Interesting stability test, this column collapsed on the weak sugary snow near the ground with 16 taps from the elbow. I could not repeat it and the extended column test did not have similar results. I don't think this is alarming with how deep the snow pack is, but something to ponder? It could also be with a column this tall it may react this way?
This shallow rocky terrain would be a likely place to trigger an avalanche that breaks into deeper snow.
Some soft, but stubborn wind slabs that did not want to move much. It steeper areas these might be more likely to pick up some speed.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Not much wind today, but with the few new inches very minor wind slabs were found on leeward slopes. These were a little stubborn to crack and move, but might become more sensitive with more snow and wind this evening? </p> <p>The snowpack in this east zone is always a little different, with more faceted layers and less snow. I decided to dig to the ground and see if I could locate some weak snow and near the bottom of the pack is some loose sugary faceted snow. With over 6' of snow, it would would very difficult to affect this layer unless a person found a shallow part of the slab and it propagated to make a much deeper avalanche.</p>
Many of the popular riding areas are getting pretty tracked up and some new snow would help cover the rough tracks. The riding however continues to be quite good, with settled dense powder and loose faceted surface snow.