Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Overall the PC Ridgeline’s only continuous snow lies on NNW through ENE aspects above ~8800'. Though the snowpack along the ridgeline's starting zones is very thin, that in place has a poor structure with multiple melt-freeze crusts and weak interfaces. Testing a NE-facing site around 9000' no column failure due to lack of a slab. However, coaxing a few SSTs did present Q2 failure below the lower crust associated with the 10/18-10/20 snow. </p> <p>One concern would be these interfaces staying weak until a storm slab falls on top with enough SWE to propagate this layer. Even though discontinuous, I can imagine a number of the PC ridgeline start zones with enough October coverage to cause notable failure. </p> <p>The other is isolated wind slabs that have been forming close to ridgelines since the 10/27 pulse. With their continued formation this high pressure, trying to keep track of wind-loaded features will help avoid issues with their burial in the next snow. </p>
39 HS with 2 crusts present, the lower ~20 cm down of more concern.
Notable snowpack only continuous in high and north locations.