Snowpack

Observation: Big Willow

Grainger, Young, Olafsen, OrtonSalt Lake
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Quick report

Red Flags
Wind Loading, Rapid Warming
Red Flags Comment
<p>Same wind and solar elements present on specific aspects with the isolated chances for persistent deep triggers in complex terrain.</p>

Prevalent N-facing crowns from natural cycle.

Loose Wet debris up to 4 ft. piles off steeper S pitches.

Snowpack

A full spectrum of snow surfaces worked by this last week's wind and solar in upper elevations.  Northerly winds textured, scoured, cross-loaded and sastrugi-ed(?) North aspects while the South aspects have been through a melt-freeze cycle for the past 3 days and lots of evidence of wet-loose activity on steeper slopes up to 9800 ft.  

 

Yet another set of avalanches from the natural cycle in the typical mid-slope areas under the cliffband on steep North-facing terrain in the Big Willow Cirque.  The crowns have been filled in but areas were still multiple feet deep.