Quick report
- Aspect
- North
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall
- Elevation
- 2743 m
- Slope Angle
- 15°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Naturals were visible on several aspects in the steepest terrain we could get our eyes on. These appear to have ran during the storms at the beginning and middle of the week.</p>
Photos: 1. Cornices along 10K ridgelines 2. Graupel layers reactive on shear test 3. January Snowfall has been incredible (boards last cleared January 1st.) 4. Natural avalanche in Y Not of Mary Ellen Gulch (Mid slope ~10k under cliff band, steep N facing terrain)
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>At a majority of the locations we visited there was 6" of snow covering everything and it would have been hard to tell if windslabs were present, so went with storm slab as the primary problem. Explosives triggered releases on the Snowbird periphery had uniform crown depths and storm slab characteristics, running on density changes within the storm snow. Graupel layers were also present in the upper 80cms of the pack and the deepest were quite well preserved. These layers were reactive in shear tests and CTs, but no propagation occurred during ECT or PST. The previously occurring naturals we did see had been covered by some new snow and had very soft debris. Don't get me wrong, I know the wind was blowing hard during the beginning of the week, but we just couldn't find any wind slabs on the upper elevations ridges we visited.</p> <p>As mentioned in my previous post, there are some monsters out there. With expected clearing and rising temps to above freezing, I still think these are a major concern. Traveling along ridgelines it is easy to get lured out onto one of these, and although they aren't as sensitive as Tuesday, they should still be regarded as dangerous. That being said, I also feel that wet loose could be an issue tomorrow with the encroaching high pressure forecast. Green housing may also occur with the higher clouds.</p>
Very light density snow of the blower variety capped off yesterday's snowfall. Premium powder conditions on a supportable base made the skiing excellent on every aspect we visited around the compass.. The medium density snow from the beginning of the storm cycles has filled in a lot of terrain and upper AF canyon is as deep as I have seen it. 3 meters was measured at our study plot at 9700' on N. facing Sinner's Pass. 165cm of that has come since January 1st, and 85cm of that has come since January 8th. The snow is quite well bonded sluffs were not running as far as expected.