Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Poor snowpack structure identified within a thick rain crust layer that was 60 cm down. This weakness was a crust facet sandwich located within this crust layer. This entire crust was 18 cm thick, and the weakness within the crust was identified with a CTH SP. Other sites with this crust layer did not yield similar results, yet it's size and it's ability to be not allow for adequate snowpack drainage remains a concern. </p> <p>Multiple sites identified an upper snowpack weakness at around 22 cm down with CTH SP scores. This upper snowpack location appeared to be the weakness where widespread wet loose activity was observed between 1130 and 1300 on steep SE and S facing slopes in upper Cardiff. Upon driving down the canyon other new wet loose activity was noted on the top part of Scotties Bowl as well as just off the north face of Lake Peak.</p>
As with most spring diurnal snowpacks, the hazard/danger rises with daytime heating. By 1030 a lone skier on Flagstaff Bowl easily initiated three wet loose (1.5) while traversing across the upper SE facing starting zones. There was also one Corn Slab avalanche that was reported to have been human triggered early in the day in the lower Flagstaff area on a steep/medium sized, southerly facing rollover feature. This slide appeared to be at least 100 feet wide and releasing on the same upper snowpack weak layer.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>See above for multiple wet loose avalanches (1.5 to 2 in size), and considering our exit was early at 1330 it is very likely that multiple west facing steep slopes continued with this trend. As temperatures and cloud cover are likely to remain as significant red flag contributing factors over at least the next 36 hours, Friday most likely will continue to remain active. At some point, if these red flag weather conditions persist, wet slab activity will come into play and start running on the aforementioned stout/thick buried rain crust. </p> <p>The cornices appear to be shrinking in many locations due to the excessive heat, yet there are many large ones still out there that remain suspect. </p>
Snow surface conditions were poor to fair, semi-supportable and manky; and ultimately worse than the previous day. Upon the exit at 1330 the mashed potatoes were at least carvable with ski penetration 10 to 12 cm.