Observation: Pink Pine

Quick report

Aspect

Northeast

Red Flags

Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure

Elevation

2591 m

We headed out to look at the new snow instabilities, and what the PWL looked like on both NE and W facing aspects. While traveling we did not experience any collapsing or cracking, like early stated we did see a few signs of new snow instabilities such as fast-moving new sluffs, nothing large enough to knock someone off their feet. We dug two pits today, one on a NE aspect and one on a W aspect. Within both pits, we were unable to get repeatable propagation. In the NE facing pit at 8560' we were only able to get get a collapse down 35cm, and no propagation. The pit dug on a W facing aspect at 8600' initially had a test result of ECTPV. We then performed this test again. The second test was performed in the same area we observed an ECTX. It is important to note, there was shrubbery on the ground. However, this was a good example of spatial variability in our snowpack currently. The weak faceted grains exist on many aspects, and with the increase of snow and wind, I would expect to see more human and natural triggered avalanches. Snowpit profile from NE Aspect

Signs of wind drifted snow on Pink Pine Ridge

New snow between tour

Snowpack

Instability Comment

The primary concern continues to be the weak faceted snow near the ground. We found it within both of our pits, on both a NE aspect and a W aspect. The danger will only increase with additional snow and wind from the day as well as forecasted through the rest of the evening. While we were traveling a primarily protected area, there were obvious signs of transport occurring. Throughout the day winds only continued to increase, and around 4 pm were cranking up to 106 mph on Hidden Peak. With all of the new snow available for transport, sensitive slabs of wind drifted snow will continue to form on all aspects at mid and upper elevations. I would be most concerned about these sensitive slabs at upper and mid-elevations where these sensitive slabs will sit on top of the PWL. While we aren't adding a third problem. In areas that are protected from the wind, I would expect to find both shallow soft slabs and loose sluffs of the new snow. While we traveled we saw obvious signs of new snow instabilities such as easy sluffing, and fast-moving snow.