Quick report
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking, Poor Snowpack Structure
Photos - shooting cracks from skinning and sensitive hand shears
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Primary concern today was the wind. I traveled in BCC between 7400 and 9200' on a variety of aspects. Leaving the car around 8:30a there was snow drifting on ridges and cross loading of N slopes epecially, winds were light with gusts to moderate and unpredictable in regards to the aspect they were loading. By our 2pm exit winds from the N were steady blowing at moderate speeds with strong gusts. Wind slabs on the lee aspects were firm and shooting cracks were present with every step. South facing slopes were softer but still loaded and reactive if you tipped the slope angle high enough to get something to initiate. Drifts were up to 2' deep. With more snow and wind in the forecast this problem is not going away. </p> <p>At the start of our day new snow at 7400' was about 2-3" in most places and poorly bonded to the soft old snow surface. Hand pits revealed easy shears on the new/old interface and the new snow was much more slab like than the previous storm. By our exit at 2pm new snow at the 7400' was about 7". With more heavy snow expected with this storm this problem <em>will</em> cause avalanches as the old snow is overloaded with stress. </p>