Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>The steady southwest winds today were forming some stiffer wind slab conditions along slopes facing east and northeast. These are still patchy and not much large connected pieces of snow, but this could all change with the approaching storms?</p>
Some folks choose to get around on sleds and others are keeping with the wheeled vehicles. Still thin around the area, but a few riders have ventured off the road into grassy meadows. Not much of a snow pack right now and no real faceted weak sugary snow currently.
The Double Hill area has been getting worked from both north and northwest winds as well as from the southwest. Lots of wind textured snow and some deeper wind drifts have developed. The Whitney Basin still needs some good storms to get the winter season going.
Even with the thin snow cover, the winds still find plenty of snow to blow and drift snow forming these pockety wind drifts that are getting a couple of feet deep.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The wind slabs forming today will become a little more reactive as the winds continue and the snow begins to stack up. </p>
Still thin in the Whitney area with 8 to 10" on the ground with some places a little deeper. No real alarming issues with the snowpack that I observed today. Some minor weak snow near the ground and a little weaker snow as you gain some elevation. The mild fall and lack of snow during October and much of November has prevented a lot of the snow on the ground to weaken. It does not look like a real bad start to the season as far as the snow pack goes.