Quick report
- Aspect
- North
- Red Flags
- Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3109 m
- Slope Angle
- 34°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Entire snowpack is weakening, from top to bottom. In places where the crusts are breaking down, it's "sandboxing": the entire snow pack is becoming loose, weak facets.</p>
The entire snow pack is weakening, but here there were still 3 distinct extra weak layers. To me, multiple weak layers is a red flag of the possibility of an avalanche stepping down.
Stepping down:
When multiple weak layers exist in the snowpack, often a smaller, shallower avalanche will travel a few feet to a few yards and the added weight and stress will trigger a deeper weak layer, which results in a much larger and more dangerous avalanche.
Lower photo - some of the facets.
A couple of photos looking into upper Days Fork. Upper photo:
- Bad news is most of the white, snow covered slopes harbor very weak snow, that will be dangerous once it gets more snow on top.
- Good news is that southeast through westerly facing slopes are still bare ground, and have the potential to develop a stronger snowpack once it snow.
- Pro tip: note over what a short distance the snow cover changes from none to weak snow. Once we get snow, it could be just a few steps between safer terrain and very dangerous terrain.
Lower photo is an pano of part of upper Days.
Here is another photo showing snow cover - this is looking toward Grizzly Gulch and Twin Lakes pass.
Snowpack
Really more like just a trace of new snow.