Quick report
- Aspect
- Northwest
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3018 m
- Slope Angle
- 25°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>We stayed out of upper elevation wind loaded terrain. Poor snowpack structure was the biggest concern.</p>
Saw several slides similar to the one in the photo. All had an easterly component to them and looked to have naturally released during the last big storm.
Results in pit test were stubborn with no propagation across the column in ECT tests. That being said, if we get the water weight that's forecasted, the snowpack is going to come to life and the danger is going to rise to considerable or high. I got very clean, Q1 quality shears on faceted grains at 41cms down (16"). I can see avalanches failing on this persistent weak layer and stepping down to the deeper PWL once we get more weight on the pack. We're almost certainly going to go through another natural avalanche cycle over the next few days.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Very poor structure. While I felt today's danger was moderate in the terrain we traveled, which was from low to upper mid elevations (7500-10K) on the north half of the compass, it will clearly be another story tomorrow due to the incoming storm. </p>
The wind seemed to be a player last night and today so it was difficult to tell how much snow fell yesterday, but an inch or two would be my guess. The snow was creamy and fun. Occasionally punchy skiing and riding when you'd encounter spots with a thinner slab making it easier to punch into the facets. Sandboxing at times climbing in lower elevation terrain. Obvious signs of the winds from last weekend at all elevations. Small amount of graupel on the snow surface.