Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
- Collapsing
- isolated
Like yesterday, we could feel heavy snow on top of lighter snow with every step and pole plant. The dense surface snow sometimes supported us, and sometimes, we sank through it into the lighter snow below. Unlike yesterday, we did not trigger widespread cracks in the upside-down snow today.
We triggered cracking in one sheltered spot where I ski cut above my partner's track and in more exposed wind-loaded areas. None of these cracks extended below the storm snow.
We kicked on several wind-loaded test slopes, which sometimes cracked after several kicks. On the windward side of the ridges, we could see signs of last night's extreme winds, including sastrugi and even bare ground in some areas.
We saw one partially covered avalanche from yesterday, triggered some cracking in wind-loaded test slopes, and felt one collapse that failed on the interface between the heavier new snow and lighter storm snow below it.Weather
- Air Temp
- 24
- Cloud Cover
- broken
- Wind Loading
- moderate
- Recent Snowfall
- ~ 45 cm storm total
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Mostly cloudy skies with moderate to strong SW winds on the ridges. There were moderate amounts of blowing snow during our tour today.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2 R4
- Aspect
- NE
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 9275 ft
We saw partially covered debris from a wide natural avalanche on the far east ridge of Tamarack Peak yesterday (2/4/24). New snow and wind-transported snow had filled in the crown, but it was about 350 ft wide.