Quick report
- Red Flags
- Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Lots of rollerballs on all aspects below 9000 feet, especially pronounced on south and west. This should be a thing of the past after tomorrow. Faceted layer from mid December dry period still lurking.</p>
Toured in Pleasant Creek today from elevations of 7,000 feet to 10,000 feet, on aspects from West to North to Northeast. In general, the top couple inches of the snow surface was damp, even on north aspects up to about 9100 feet. Below that was several inches of facets. At higher elevations the snow surface mainly consisted of facets, even in areas that formerly held denser wind slabs. Persistent weak layer of facets from the mid-December dry period was also present in areas traveled. Does not seem like a very good setup for the upcoming series of storms beginning tonight.
Dug one pit (photo 1) on a WNW aspect at 9300 feet, 30 degree slope angle, HS 100cm. Top 10 cm consisted of damp snow, with the next 15 cm consisting of facets. Persistent weak layer of facets formed in mid December still present although seemed fairly stubborn at this location. Obtained test results of ECTH 29 and CTH 29 with Q3 shears on this layer.
Observed one old avalanche crown in one of the steep north-facing slide paths above Pleasant Creek, approximate elevation of 9900 feet and approximate slope angle of 40 degrees (photo 2.) I was unable to determine if the avalanche broke into the old snow or just consisted of wind slab. Steep north facing slopes had clearly been heavily windloaded by the weather events of the last two weeks.