Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Rapid Warming
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Rollerballs and wet loose becoming active and widespread by 1200. Wet/damp and saturated snow easily running on the drier snow from the beginning of the event. On southerly faces, m/f crusts serving as a good bed surface.. Greenhousing and rapidly rising temperatures contributing to these obviously escalating avalanche conditions. </p>
Danger appeared to be low to start the day before daytime heating, greenhousing and solar all became a factor by 1200. Bonding to the old snow surfaces appeared good, and many steep lines were ridden early in the am without activity. The afternoon obviously saw a change in these issues and the danger definitely rose to Moderate by the time of exiting; and potentially hit Considerable late in the day. With the temperatures forecast to rise another 12 to 15 degrees on Thursday these same issues may continue to escalate.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>See above, and minimal refreezes below 9000 feet for at least the past 48 hours may help contribute to continual wet related avalanche issues. </p> <p>Continued concerns for Cornice Fall and and possible Glide Avalanches appear likely and possible.</p>
Very high density snow below 8500 feet overnight, with medium density snow above 9000. Snow was dry until 1000 down to 9000 feet. Greenhousing began by 1030 as a result of the high RH, rising temperatures, fog and intermittent patches of solar. Intense greenhousing appeared to adversely affect almost all aspects, terrain features and elevations up to 10300 by 1115. The only dry snow was found in dense tree stands on shady aspects upon exiting at 1230. Afternoon weather at 8000 feet saw increasing temperatures, solar combined with an intermix of cloud cover; and it is likely that there was no dry snow left except above 10300 on steep north aspects, and that is not guaranteed. Travel most likely will be very difficult on Thursday morning with widespread m/f crusts covering very saturated snow.