Quick report
- Aspect
- West
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3292 m
- Slope Angle
- 18°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>SW winds transporting the new 2-4” of snow onto leeward N-NE aspects where we already have the presence of weak layers. Digging down into the snow on a W aspect reveled the presence of weak faceted layers in the snowpack. While I don’t feel the 2-4” is quite enough to tip the scale yet, continued snowfall and wind tonight may do so in certain areas on polar aspects which have weak faceted snow down below. My observed rating today was LOW with potential to rise to MODERATE tomorrow depending on snow totals tonight and tomorrow’s morning. </p>
Snowpack on a W facing aspect in the trees at 10875 feet shows the pencil hard rain crust below our new snow that allows for supportable travel and turning. But below this are multiple, fist dense, weak layers that definitely could be a problem if we receive enough of a load to put a strain on them.
Snow on W, SW and S facing aspects show state of our snowpack with very thin conditions. And, a peek up into Horse Creek Basin revealed that even on northerly aspects rocks are quite obvious with thin conditions.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>2-4” of damp and heavy new snow with potential for more tonight puts the first new load on our snowpack for the first time in quite a while. </p> <p>SW winds continue tonight transporting new snow onto N-NE-E aspects. </p>
Overall conditions are not great, but the new snow did soften things up if you are able to find places with an existing snowpack. 3-4” of dense new snow up above 10500’ in the Horse Creek drainage. Rain snow line appeared to be around 8000’-9000’ with only around 0.5” of snow at the winter parking lot. New snow was dense and damp resembling the type of snow you might see in April/May. Wild for this time of year. Underneath the new snow, the snowpack is very thin but supportable for travel and tuns on skis/boards and punchy on your feet. The recent rain and warm temps have created a supportable layer under the new snow that makes travel easy. Despite the feel of a spring like snowpack on top, digging down will show you that is not the case of the entire snowpack. It is still very thin out there and obstacles lurk just beneath the new snow.