Quick report
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking
While we found reasonable riding conditions and skied a few steeper lines with impunity, conditions were changing fast and I expect a lot of activity in the next 24+ hours, especially considering the very low-density delicate trace of snow that fell Wednesday. Might addition of new water weight activate some lurking buried layers? Perhaps, based on what I saw yesterday.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Monday's storm left a wide range of snow depths in the Millcreek area and we found about 4 inches of fresh, denser snow resting on that this morning, with more coming down fast. Pretty much just looking at the snow from a distance formed cracks, but we saw nothing moving. Yet. Conditions were changing fast this morning and the riding quality was diminishing by the moment.</p> <p>The wind picked up greatly at higher elevations and was increasing at lower elevations as we left, dumping large snow loads from trees. It was swirling in all directions and setting the stage for unpredictable cross loading. Very sheltered slopes had less wind effect, but even that was changing as we left around 1:30 pm.</p>