Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
Signs of Instability:
- Recent (past 48 hours): No recent avalanches and no propagating results in pit tests. Wind slabs were small, but reactive to added weight with cracks extending ~3'. Maximum wind slab thickness (1F) was 16", but all others were 8" or less.
- Previous: Multiple wet loose avalanches on E, S, and W aspects up to D2. Multiple slab avalanches on N and E slopes up to D2.5.
Snow Surface:
- Noticable difference in new storm snow quantities at ~5200' with about 5-8" in sheltered locations (vs .5" fresh at lower elevations!).
- Supportative melt freeze crust at mid elevations and on E, S, W slopes at upper elevations. Wind transported snow off crust in open bowls and along ridgelines, leaving a slick surface that would have been difficult to safely travel on.
- On northerly slopes at upper elevations, there were pockets with no crust, but most still had a breakable crust.
Pits on E and N aspects revealed different structures. See snowpack section for more details.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 28
- Cloud Cover
- broken
- Wind Loading
- light
- Rain Elevation
- 5200
- Recent Snowfall
- 15
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
A mild day in the mountains with cloud deck of about 7000' in the morning. Clouds cleared, and we received about 2 hours of solar radiation, which was starting to consolidating the surface snow. Clouds moved in for the remainder of the day with some fluries. Light W and SW winds with moderate gusts along ridge top.
Snowpack
- E, 6900', HS=220cm
- ECTX and ECTN23 down 13cm on facets
- Multiple crusts: 3cm sun crust (K) down 10cm with facets (3mm) beneath it, melt freeze crust down 40cm (1F), and possibly a rime crust down 60cm
- N, 6500', HS=180cm
- ECTX and ECT24N down 20cm on new snow interface
- 4F Facets down 60cm with grain size up to 2 mm
- Sheltered, low angle location
Avalanche
- Size
- D1.5 R2
- Type
- WL
- Count
- 2
- Aspect
- SW
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 6800 ft