Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Triggered lots of shooting cracks and cracked out a few small lense-shaped wind slabs while skiing. Also experienced a couple localized audible collapses. Hard to tell for sure due to poor visibility, but I thought I could see a broad crown line from a good sized recent natural avalanche on one of the Sisters in Cottonwood Canyon in the Mount Naomi Wilderness.</p>
We triggered shooting cracks in drifted terrain indicating potential wind slab instability in the area.
Icy crystal mist obscured our views of the higher avalanche terrain and the Beat River Range crest, but the active clouds also gave us some magical light at times...
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Noted a good amount of ongoing drifting. Wind slabs still building with sustained NW wind and cold light snow on the surface. </p> <p>Most areas apparently still lacking slab, but very weak faceted snow from the Thanksgiving high pressure system is widespread. Weakest faceted snow is elevated well above the ground and its above many low anchors. I expect persistent slab issues in the future when this crap is overloaded.</p>
Shallow light new snow on surface. About 25 cm of snow now capping Thanksgiving nsf.