Quick report
- Aspect
- Northwest
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3018 m
- Slope Angle
- 26°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Recent avalanches based on other's reports; I did not see any signs of recent avalanches myself. </p>
Traveled the north half of the compass to 10K. Winds were blowing but not moving snow. Warm temps the last two days have consolidated the storm slab and I was finding damp snow to just over 9K but no temperature crust. Also finding damp snow deeper in the pack at and below 9K. Any weaknesses in the storm snow seem to have settled out.
Also, I'm still finding a lot of spacial variability in my travels. I can dig in one spot at a particular elevation and find weak snow throughout the pack and move 100 feet at the same elevation and the pack will be a foot deeper with better structure.
Pit test results reflected easy to easy-moderate effort to fail with a propensity to propagate across the column on facets on the old December snow surface. Results were clean and energetic and enough to make me really take notice. With more snow and wind forecasted the danger will definitely be bumping up. I would think the new snow will bond well with the old snow surface. Considerable to high danger tomorrow based on amounts of new snow and wind.
Photo #1: CT shear
Photo #2: faceted grains on failure plane.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Instabilities in the storm snow had settled out but based on pit tests the persistent weak layers are still a big concern. Increasing danger with more snow and wind forecasted. </p>
Warm temps yesterday and today made a noticeable difference in the snow conditions.