Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Today's big red flag was the strong winds moving lots of snow around and loading slopes that generally face north through northeast, east and southeast. </p>
This large avalanche in Super Bowl on an east facing slope may have been triggered by a cornice fall. I'm not sure on the exact day, but would guess it occured this past week when many other large avalanches were happening. It broke quite wide and looks like it also broke into old snow judging from the crown depth.
Fresh wind slabs have been forming on the leeward slopes and I noticed this fresh wind slab that released naturally from strong steady winds.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Strong winds from yesterday and today have created some heavily wind loaded slopes that generally are north through northeast and east facing slopes. I observed one fresh wind slab that released naturally in the upper Whitney Basin. </p> <p>Looking around the area today, some steeper slopes did have some sled tracks on them from the weekend, but I did not observe any recent triggered slides. Given the large avalanches that have been happening this past week, I would not say that things are good to go. A person just needs to find that weak spot on the slope and it's very likely a large avalanche can be triggered. </p>
Around 5-6" new snow from yesterday's quick storm which helped to cover-up some of the old tracks and freshen things up. Todays's winds were quite strong from the southwest and was easily blowing this new snow into new wind drifts. In very protected areas the riding and turning conditions are good on a mostly supportable base at the higher elevations.