Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>We came upon a (~2 day) old skier triggered windslab at the top of the skin track (ENE at 9600ft). </p>
Photos:
1. Nice feathery SH.
2. Old windslab likely triggered by a skier on their way up (HS-ASu-R1-D2-O).
3. Surface hoar across slope of Bob's Knob.
4. Mid elevation stratus that resulted in rapid surface hoar growth rates, especially where these would bump up against the hills.
5. Debris pile from NE Chute Elk Pt (SS-N-R3-D3-I) during storm on 1/12.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Some stout wind slabs still lurking out there, but the thinner ones are decomposing.</p> <p>We then dropped into a NW facing couloir, only to be confronted by a thick, hard windslab mid-way down that spanned the slope. Ended up climbing back up and out of the couloir to avoid having to ski over it.</p>
The surface has weakened substantially over the past couple of days. Surface hoar growth has been widespread. Check out our new snow surface temperature data from the Bunnells Ridge weather station via wrh.noaa.gov or Mesowest. Right now its under the field name "Ground Temperature", but this may change to "Surface Temp" soon. Snow surface temperatures have been quite cold these past two days, and with a high Relative Humidity, has been ideal for Surface Hoar growth.