Quick report
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading
Very warm temps driving up the canyon this morning and my car thermometer read 43 degrees pulling into Spruces at 0700. Precip started to fall as I pulled into the lot and at first I couldn't tell if it was rain or snow. Turns out it was some really wet snow. Heading up Mill D North the snow surface was some sort of moist crust that was somewhat supportable. The new snow came in wet enough that we weren't blasting through to the crust, and riding conditions were drastically improving throughout the day.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>S1 beginning around 0700, increasing to S2 by 1000 where it remained for the duration of our tour. 4-6" new snow by 1300 when we got back to the parking lot. The snow came in upright and appeared to bond to the various heat crusts out there. At times we noted graupel, rimed stellars and stellars all falling at the same time. The new snow did not feel like it was forming a slab, and I would expect to see some sloughing on steep slopes as the snowfall increases. </p> <p> </p> <p>Moderate to strong winds and lots of blowing snow observed. We observed winds coming from S, SW and NW so I'd expect wind slabs developing on all aspects in the mid and upper elevations if winds persist. </p>