Quick report
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Significant cracking in the fresh snow. ECTP's on isolation up to around 10 inches deep, SS of heavier snow failing easily on density change and the overnight storm interface in tests. Steep cut banks at around 7000' cracking and failing with ski cuts.</p>
DUMPING at Beaver Mountain this afternoon... Gone for an hour and 4 inches accumulated on the windshield. Easy two feet of fresh snow up on the hill. Looks real good for opening day coming Thursday, December 20.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>We noted rather unstable heavier new snow, that isn't bonding very well to the colder snow from yesterday. A type of instability that is usually pretty short-lived, but good sized natural storm snow avalanches are very possible in the Logan Zone tonight.</p> <p>Can only imagine whats going on at upper elevations. Extensive and widespread loading on lee slopes and wind slab formation in exposed terrain, i'd venture to guess.. The rapid addition of weight today could cause buried persistent weak layers to become active and deep slab avalanches are becoming more possible as well.</p>
Snow was inverted or a bit heavier on top, and you would sink deeply into yesterday's lighter powder. Slow motion turning conditions only possible on fairly steep slopes. Difficult trail breaking because deep snow was inverted...