Quick report
- Aspect
- Southwest
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3566 m
- Slope Angle
- 22°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>I did not observe any avalanches in my travels but I noted lots of wumpfing, mostly isolated to areas shaded by trees on elevations in the 10500-11200 range. The majority of my travels were in flat meadows and on SW facing terrain. I did not notice as much wumpfing on open areas with more solar gain. There was some isolated cracking, but no shooting cracks. I did not travel on slopes greater than 30 degrees. </p>
Pit dug at 11750' on SW aspect. Total snow depth was 113cm. Multiple week layers and stiff crusts throughout. I did an extended column test with results of ECTN9 @ 100cm and ECTP14 @ 75cm on a layer of faceted snow.
Tomasaki WSW slide path with limited snow above tree line and filled in at the bottom and a steep northerly facing slope that has been loaded by new snow and wind transport. No evidence of avalanches, but this is a slope I am avoiding being on or below.
Wind transport onto N-NE-E facing terrain in the afternoon, and isolated cracking on SW facing terrain below treeline
Our beautiful mountains looking and skiing much better after the snow
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The new snow has created a load on top of our already weak snowpack. In addition this new snow has been moved around by the wind. I was initially concerned for instability at the new snow/old snow interface but I was able to produce instability results on my ECT into old weak layers, see below. Chances of snow throughout the week in addition to wind could possibly add to our new load. </p> <p>Poor snowpack structure with multiple week layers in between dense slabs and crusts. The new snow we received is very dense and put a heavy load on our already weak snowpack. Potential for avalanches at the new snow/old snow interface with the possibility of them stepping down into old weak layers with the right load on the right terrain. ECTP 14 at 62cm is keeping me away from >30. </p>
Around a foot of new snow was present in Tomasaki/Manns basin with higher amounts as I went up in elevation. New snow was dense, fast, "surfy" and provided fun skiing/riding. The best of the season so far. Throughout the day as winds increased the top layer became slightly more stiff.