Quick report
- Red Flags
- Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Each day with heating, it will be easy to trigger wet loose sluffs on steep, sunny slopes. Naturals possible each day</p> <p>A return to "winter" and storms this month, with dry spells, have given us a layered upper snow pack. The layers of concern are fairly limited, mostly to northerly and northeasterly upper elevation slopes The snow on most other slopes is stabilizing - warm temperatures and strong sun are creating melt-freeze layers on all other aspects and elevations, that will be strong when frozen. I think in most places, these weaker layers don't have enough of a load for slides to break down into them yet, but they could continue to weaken and/or get overloaded with the next storm. There are 3 "funky" layers I've been seeing - </p> <ul> <li>re-crystallized graupel, from the 2 storms around March 6th and March 9th.</li> <li>a very localized layer of near surface facets</li> <li>Crusts with facets beneath them</li> </ul> <p>Below is a very rough aspect/elevation rose of where I think some of these weak layers may be found. It's going to be worth keeping an eye on this upper layering, especially ahead of the next storm.</p> <p>Below - another pit today, 9,800', north facing. This one had 2 shears on graupel. The lower graupel layer is the one I'm more concerned with, as it's stayed loose in some places for 10 days, indicating faceting. No results from ECT's where I was, but distinct shears. </p>
Still good powder, but only on northerly and wind sheltered. Alot of scattered breakable wind crusts. Will be less powder tomorrow, with even more snow sun crusted early from today's sun and warm temperatures.