Quick report
- Aspect
- North
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2286 m
- Slope Angle
- 17°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Interesting easterly winds have the potential to deposit snow in less usual areas however there appeared to not be a significant amount of snow able to be transported by wind along the skyline ridgeline. </p>
Good low angle riding is easily attainable with recent colder temps preserving the snow surface in wind protected terrain.
photo 1 - Easterly winds blowing snow off the No Name ridgeline at Snowbasin
photo 2 - A mixed bag of wind scoured and rime along exposed ridgelines
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Poor snowpack structure is still easily apparent. Now buried by several feet of newer snow there were no obvious signs of recent PWL activity in the surrounding area. The facets in the bottom of the snowpack have generally become rounded out at this elevation but are still weak and less dense than the layers that are presiding above it. I would be wary of this problem in thinner rockier areas and slopes that have had previous persistant slab avalanches, and any steeper slopes on the N - E sides of the compass. </p> <p>Observed a ECTP 28 @ 34cm which occurred on a layer of rounded facets that were slightly weaker than the structure below. Colder temps have helped lock up overall structure. </p> <p>Active wind transport was seen both to the north and south. Minimal transport was noted in my travels in the immediate area however there was significant transport along high elevation ridgelines, especially to the south along the No Name ridgeline (see picture). Easterly winds presided for most of the morning into the afternoon contributing to chilly temperatures. If these winds persists they have the potential to create slabs in unusual spots. </p>
Below ridgeline cold temps have protected the snow surface to about 6500' where below snow surface has been affected by melt freeze cycles. At ridgeline snow surfaces remain affected by wind and are scoured and crusted. Small surface hoar was observed on most aspects in wind sheltered terrain above 6500'.
Height of snow averages around 100 - 120 cm around 7500' with the bottom 50cm or so consisting of our early season combinations of facets and crusts now capped by a couple of feet of denser snow. Poor snowpack structure is abound however no obvious signs of instability such as cracking or collapsing were noticed today.