Quick report
- Aspect
- Northwest
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2865 m
- Slope Angle
- 25°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Evidence of natural soft slab release observed on steep, wind loaded, easterly facing slope along PC Ridge in Red Pine canyon. Cracking observed in top 20 cm along ridges. No collapsing observed.</p>
ECTN15 down 17cm on new snow density inversion, ECTN21 down 20cm on new snow density inversion. CT12 down 17cm Q2, CT15 down 20cm Q2, CT23 down 50cm (on NSF) Q3. Pit location was protected, if tests were done in a more wind loaded location propagation results would likely have been more reactive with surface instabilities.
Evidence of natural soft slab release observed on steep (40deg), wind loaded, easterly facing slope along PC Ridge in Red Pine canyon, 9550'. Looked like primarily surface snow 20-30cm deep x 150' wide, ran 500', stopped in top of runout. size 1.5.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The new snow contains a density inversion down about 10 inches or so in sheltered areas, perhaps more in places. Areas which received loading, primarily mid to upper elevation NW--N-NE-E-SE will be most affected by this and are most suspect in terms of stability.</p> <p>The now 50 plus cm of storm snow sitting on top of old near surface facets on nw-n-ne-e-se requires some respect. At 9375 on a northerly slope in Upper Millcreek Canyon the layer proved difficult to initiate propagation in stability tests but the existing structure could be worse off in other areas such as those in higher elevations.</p>
light density snow fell overnight as temperatures plummeted from yesterdays warm new snow inversion layer. Winds easily moved the light snow to lee areas along ridges overnight and in the early morning.
Wide skis helped stay in the surface snow above the density inversion and overall the skiing was good in protected areas! Much of the south facing terrain in upper mill D was fairly wind affected.