Quick report
- Aspect
- West
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Collapsing
- Elevation
- 1890 m
- Slope Angle
- 24°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Storm snow and existing snow heavily influenced by wind. Managed to hear a "whoompf" on a 20 degree slope in a localized wind drift. Exciting!</p>
With all the canyons being closed, decided to go for a safe, but poor riding condition tour up Thurston Ridge from the Fernwood trailhead. I keep hoping for this ridge to be good, but the low elevation does not lend itself to enjoyable skiing.
Skied in about 1.5 miles to gain 1000' (final elevation 6150'). Dug a pit. The chosen location had a snow depth of about 2'. During my skin up, conditions ranged from 4-5' wind drifts to 2" of ice on wind blown ridges. It was hard to determine an "average" location. Definitely "early season" conditions down low.
I dug a pit, performed a rudimentary shovel tilt test, and compression test. This was at 4:30PM.
Notes on the pit: Bottom 6-8", Fist hardness Middle 6-8", Weak, faceted snow. Top 6-8", 4F-1F hardness, softer on top.
Notes on the shovel tilt test: the strength of the new snow is quite remarkable. I attempted to get a good photo of the shear surface but lighting and winds made this difficult.
Notes on the CT test: CT14. Initial collapse at 13, and then 14 the whole block pulled out (as shown in the picture). Final screen capture shows location, angle, and view from the pit.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Evidence of wind loading not only from today's events but the past several days. It appeared as if wind had blown from every direction as local eddies influenced the snow's dispersal.</p> <p>Strong, heavy snow being quickly deposited. About 6 inches, average, over the course of the tour. Some may have been from yesterday.</p>
The lower elevation foothills have seen a combination of wind, new snow, sun crust, and wind crusts. Surface conditions best described as "variable" between ice and deep wind drifts.