Quick report
- Aspect
- Southwest
- Red Flags
- Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3566 m
- Slope Angle
- 24°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>I was surprised to not have any collapsing today and I made sure to break some trail on a number of aspects. However, snowpack structure is quite weak in the old snow. I was curious how rotted out any old snow in high elevation S-SW aspects would be and was treated to a facet clinic. I got an ECTP 12 at 32 cm down from the surface on facets beneath the old freeze thaw crust. Although this is a reactive score, you would have to break through a stout Pencil crust to propagate on this layer which is poorly simulated by the ECT. However, in pole poking around, this crust is quite variable and you could probably still get it to break in a weak spot. For me, this speaks to the potential for slides in sheltered solar shots that held snow through our dry stretches. Many solars burned off so this is an isolated problem, but if you do find some tucked away steep south shots with old snow, you might go for a ride. Impressive facets for a SW face. </p>
ECT popped out eagerly.
Clouds shrouding lower elevations
The sun came out with intensity up high - spring feels too near.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The old snow has really rotted out.</p>
The snow was still quite good today with help from the little refresh we got yesterday. I was hoping the clouds might keep the sun off the solars, but they got wet and will be crusty tomorrow. The wind got to exposed areas on the Pre-Laurel ridge, but didn't do too much damage.