Quick report
- Red Flags
- Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>We encountered localized cracking and collapsing in Cottonwood Canyon. Snowpack structure remains an issue. Overall, we found 7-10 cm of snow on top of the rime crust in sheltered terrain. The rime crust sits above a faceted layer of snow (fist hardness). In lee terrain, much more snow sits on top of the rime crust. </p>
Along the west ridge of Cottonwood Canyon, we observed a nice (although a few days old) crack in a cornice. It was 420cm in length and averaged 2cm in width. With much evidence of wind loading, we avoided all lee terrain.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>We observed deposition in lee terrain throughout the weekend.</p> <p>The interface between the rime and faceted layer remains a problem. </p>
Snow surface characteristics were variable depending on aspect. Northern, sheltered slopes above 8,000 had decent riding conditions while southern exposed slopes boast a fragile melt-freeze crust.