Quick report
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Heavy snowfall during the day was a temporary red flag.</p> <p>The primary red flag today was wind loading onto north aspects along the PC ridge (see photo below). Loading occurred all day. Ski tracks from previous days were visible mid slope in Radar Love Bowl. Tracks were obscured in the upper reaches of the bowl. I walked the ridge during two periods of good visibility without any cracking or settling. Newly formed cornices were sensitive, small cornices drops did not result in any cracking or signs of instability.</p>
Photo of loading in Radar Love Bowl.
I would call the hazard as considerable in wind loaded areas, moderate elsewhere.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>On north and northeast facing aspects in this area, some cross loading.</p> <p>Although I did not see any major signs of instability, I treated the hazard as considerable. I suspect in only the upper, loaded portions of the PC ridge.</p> <p>If the sun comes out, it is that time of year.</p>
7" from todays event. A total of 16-18" sitting on the underlaying crust. 2-3" on top of the car at Solitude at the end of the day.
Columns were not easy to isolate this morning but became more stable as the day progressed. The bond to the underlaying crust appears moderate to strong, it took a hard push and broke rather than sheared. Of note in wind exposed areas: A poorly defined break on a density inversion 6-8" below the surface, was noted in many quick columns (no propagation in quick ECTs). The break was not clean but separated with a fairly easy push. This is likely wind related. Open areas in USA Bowl were dense, slightly inverted and wind affected with some minor soft cracking.
Areas along the PC ridge were drifted up to 3" deep in places, soft cracking only.