Quick report
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Snow transport occurred throughout the tour, with small wind walls/cornices on a 7000ft ridgeline. However, didn't note any shooting cracks or hard slabs. </p> <p>Storm snow was poorly bonded to the underlying crust. Skinning in steep terrain was occasionally difficult and slippery. Experienced widespread, consistent, and easily reactive cracking of soft slabs, but with low energy. Seemed like terrain above 35 degrees would be required for soft slab avalanche or signicant dry loose.</p>
Numerous cracks visible around skier.
Snowpack
Snow surface was soft, with 25-30cm of new snow on top of the March "dust crust," plus the aforementioned 10cm that fell today. Crust was supportive, with wet snow and intermixed crusts beneath. Storm snow included large grain graupel (5-7mm or so) at the crust and right side up above that to the surface. Wind affected snow was as hard as 4F in spots, but F hardness snow dominated.