Quick report
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking, Poor Snowpack Structure
On our ascent on the eastern rib of black Bess, cracking was widely noticeable. We ski cut multiple steep yet small isolated terrain features and tear slopes and they consistently produced results, some propagating up to 50 feet across with crowns as deep as 2 feet. Bonding at the new and old snow interface is poor and the new snow has come in upside down. I expect to hear of more activity on SE through SW through W aspects today.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Strong winds from the W/SW have created significant wind drifts, most notably at high elevations. Cross loading onto W, SW, and SE aspects was widely noted. Widespread cracking across all mentioned aspects as deep as 2 feet in bigger wind drifts</p> <p>Snow seems to have come in upside down, with denser snow piling up on top of lighter density snow. The high precipitation intensity expected today will continue to create widespread instability.</p>