Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>I did not experience and cracking or collapsing today despite jumping on a number of small test slopes. </p>
Photo 1:
Mid-elevation W facing slope. Overall DJL was strong and noted percolation columns through parts of the layer. I suspect that the propogating failure was due to isolating through the crust and would be unlikely to translate to propagation across a slope on a slope with similar structure.
The recent snow and upper snowpack has settled into a 1 finger-hard slab. No collapsing noted today despite jumping on several test slopes. Stability tests continue to produce unstable results with hard force, however a Propagation Saw Tests showed a relatively short critical cut length to produce propogation. This combination supports field observations that in areas that received more snow with the last storm, the hard slab may be creating less sensitive conditions but if you find a part of the slope where the slab is thinner and you're able to impact the weak layer, triggering an avalanche is still likely.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>No noticeable change with PWL structure. Though it’s clear avalanche activity has begun to decline, the structure remains alarming, and I had unstable propagating test results in 3 out of 3 pits failing on a 2-5 cm thick layer of fist-hard facets, size 1-2.5mm. </p> <p>High thin clouds seemed to keep this problem from becoming too significant an issue today, although I did observe plenty of roller balls and some small, wet, loose avalanches. At 4:45 pm I witnessed a large roof-alanche along the bypass road. </p>
Steep solars were damp and expect a breakable crust tomorrow. On shady slopes, the upper snowpack has continued to settle and boot top powder remains.