Quick report
- Red Flags
- Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Poor snowpack structure with ECTP12 within the old September (now up to 5mm) depth hoar. </p>
Weather forecast looks grim at this time. We'll wait and see. It can't be dry all winter. Can it?
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Many weak layers to speak of, though likely all dormant at this time. Weakest snow here north facing at 9700' found to be within the old Sept depth hoar. See below. </p> <p>Potential weaknesses:</p> <ul> <li>early November facets beneath the Nov 16 storm.</li> <li>4cm of dirty graupel at the onset of the Nov 16 storm</li> <li>Oct thin layer of facets (found elsewhere in other obs)</li> <li>Sept depth hoar (close-up below)</li> </ul>
Rain up to - perhaps 10k? - on the 21st has taken its toll. Many station registered .05-.14" of rain...leaving a 1cm thick supportable rain crust (see below) up to at least 9700'. Snow beneath the crust was warm, damp, and dense (1F) and may be more slow to facet than it might be otherwise. Total snow at this elevation roughly 70cm. Grim, but it's Thanksgiving - just grateful to be in the mountains on skis.