Quick report
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>We had two booming collapses on an easterly ridge both around 9000'. </p> <p>Couldn't see much otherwise. Sky was obscured: S1 in am, S2-S4 snowfall rate by afternoon.</p>
The height of snow in the area varies tremendously by aspect and elevation. Below ~8250' the sage brush is very much still exposed with only ~30cm on the ground in the flats. At 9250' on SE there was 50cm on the ground and on N 140-165cm.
Snowpit: N, 9300,' 32 deg, HS 160cm, ECTX x2, CT25 SC at 50cm.
Layers of Concern: 1) 4F 2-3mm Facets at 50cm above ground (weak layer interface appears slightly obscured to what it once maybe was-less abrupt hardness transition perhaps), 2) 4F 0.5mm NSF (also possible V) at 110cm above ground.
HST ~12'' by 1530 (~6'' of low density snow during the afternoon) @9000'
Cracks after a collapse deep into old snow
In the white room with loaded NE slopes off ridge level
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Large collapses observed at 9000' E and NE at ridge level</p> <p>Winds appeared to shift from light WSW to moderate NW by mid afternoon</p>