Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Collapsing, Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>One loud collapse reported due north 10,000', found ~30cm of slightly moist FC under last two storms worth of snow. Triggered sluggish storm slab as the new snow took heat on SW ~9,900' running on slick MF bed surface, SS-AS-D1.5-I 38* slope at 15:00. DL on steep slopes natural and AS.</p>
Interested to see how the Tues/Wed storm test our pack, these last two storms don't seem to have been quite enough of a load to give the pack a good thump and test the P. Slab, at least in the central Wasatch. Hopefully our cooling temps will be starting to lock up all the snowpacks that took heat last week.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Following reported activity and tracking of weak snow, FC seem most prevalent on slopes that were undisturbed/little ski traffic before being buried on 2/21 (ie un-skied slopes). The feb facets were initially observed most developed/weakest in those undisturbed slopes NW-N-NE >9,000' in protected areas from wind and on old bed surfaces. Over the last two days observed small-medium pockets namely on steep NE >9,500'. Most looked to have natural mid storm Saturday night likely during peak PI/loading. Last weeks heat has seemed to helped on slopes up to around 9,500 where the facets seem to be moist now. With cooling temperatures and a deep pack/new insulation I'd expect these to be gaining strength. Seems like with the heavy skier traffic, wind events (breaking up the continuity of the FC layer) in the central Wasatch before the 2/21 storm and last weeks warm temps the distribution of the P Slab is shrinking. Maybe not the case in less skied regions, outside the central Wasatch and notoriously weak areas (ie Millcreek, PCRL).</p> <p>Storm slab activity today on slopes that took heat and have a smooth MF bed surface, dry loose otherwise on steep slopes. Otherwise limited slab development with limited wind and cold temps.</p>