Quick report
- Aspect
- North
- Red Flags
- Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2652 m
- Slope Angle
- 24°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Primary concern is poor snowpack structure. In this area, December facets were less than 1 meter from surface and capped by a hard slab. Triggering this would result in a significant, destructive avalanche. Facets were still loose and not gaining strength. </p> <p>In the afternoon, warming could have been more of a concern on south and west aspects.</p>
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Relatively thin snowpack at this elevation with ample basal facets produced clean propagation in snowpit tests. We stayed on slopes of about 25 degrees but this snow structure would have likely been problematic in steeper rocky areas.</p>
Warming temperatures made for sticky snow both downhill and uphill. It seemed odd to get clumpy snow sticking to climbing skins in January. Otherwise, skiing was good with a few inches of new snow on a supportable base. Rollerballs easy to initiate. Very slight crust on west aspects in the morning that will likely be more widespread tomorrow.