Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
Toured in Engineer Canyon today from elevations of 8,100 feet to 9,900 feet. Biggest problem in areas we traveled would likely be wind slabs failing and stepping down into weak faceted snow beneath. Both on our tour and the drive on route 31 we witnessed very impressive displays of wind loading.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Snow was rapidly being transported in areas observed. Encountered cracking and collapsing in areas that were recently loaded. Cross-loading was evident on North facing slopes. Our skintrack along a ridge was almost completely blown in after each lap (30-40 minutes.)</p> <p>Snowpack is much shallower and weaker on the Huntington side of the Skyline. Did not dig any pits, however frequent pole probes showed wind slabs anywhere from 6 inches to 2 feet thick above very weak faceted snow. With continued snowfall and high winds forecasted I would expect this problem to create potentially large avalanches over the next few days.</p>
It was difficult to measure exactly how much snow fell due to the strong winds. My best guess is 3-6 inches above 9,000 feet in the areas we traveled. Snow was much less dense than we were expecting in sheltered areas, providing excellent ski conditions. Wind was actively transporting snow throughout the day and creating wind slabs of various thickness and density both near and well below ridgelines.