Quick report
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Lots of cracking within storm snow - the weak layer was a density inversion with lower-density snow down 20 cms (8") capped with much-higher density snow (containing some graupel) above.</p>
Lots of localized cracking and a density inversion indicating a sensitive dense storm slab on top of weaker snow kept us to lower-angled terrain. Pits were getting ECTN at the density inversion down 15-20 cms (6-8") but we also got full propagation ECT scores (ECTP12 - ECTP21) down 40 cms. Photo below.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Density inversions within the storm snow as well as clean shears and ECT full propagation at the new snow/old snow interface down 40 cms. Ordinarily, storm snow weaknesses settle out fairly quickly (sometimes a matter of hours) but with more snow forecast for overnight, the trend for this problem will increase.</p> <p>We were also able to get cracking in areas with wind-drifted snow up to 30-40 cms thick. With more wind out of the SW and switching to the NW, the trend for this problem will increase.</p>
Heavy, dense new snow that was inverted.