Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Low density surface snow that had stayed cool since the storm is being transported readily onto lee terrain, especially in the expected locations along ridgelines (9000').</p> <p>Obvious poor structure is Specific to Widespread. See 2/19/2026 ob. from Davis "Hand Hardness Photo" for a great visual. My machine and I found plenty of evidence of this snowpack setup throughout the day, "trap dooring" at low speeds and chewing on really weak snow below the most recent crust. On one such occasion I found a stump that had facilitated some more mature crystal formation... The snowpack is thin and is reacting as such in many locations of this zone.</p>
P1: Morning Wx and Snow Obs.
P2: Morning riding conditions
P3: Afternoon Wx and Snow Obs.
P4: Surface conditions via ski
Snowpack
Surfaces provided generally favorable riding conditions via both machine and ski. The previous storm was elevation dependent and predictable, this most recent storm was the opposite. Winds have been blowing in a few directions through the past few days and finding consistent, large patches of homogenous surface snow is harder than last week, even in more sheltered locations.