Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Cracking, Collapsing, Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Recent avalanches-- observed activity was ~2d old. Could see the N'ly Powder Park slab reported here previously (one group was skinning the hangfire and skiing adjacent slope). Wind load-- From the North, reversing recent trends. Small wind slabs forming near ridges. Cracking/Collapsing-- One collapse at the sheep shit ridgetop. Shooting cracks running through freshly formed wind slab.</p>
Cracking within the new wind-transported snow in the near field, with the Little Water Pk avalanche in the background. Note winds from the right (North) transporting snow onto S'ly aspect.
I'm torn on the danger rating. Most south facing terrain is moderate danger, but the consequences of trigger a deeper slide are significant, so I'm sticking with considerable.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The basal facet problem seems less touchy today. Fewer collapses observed, and less punching-through to low density snow while breaking trail. We stayed conservative on angle and didn't dig a pit, so this is conjecture, but I suspect bridging in the storm snow is to thank for this. That just means that this problem is harder to trigger, but the facets should heal more slowly. It's becoming a Dragon in the Basement. </p> <p>This is divided into both the North and the South halves of the compass. Northerly slopes, even those that ripped during the storm, are loaded with buff looking windslab. Today, wind slab was forming in Southerly terrain. This was not a huge concern in the low angle terrain of Mill D, but in the right place these could be sensitive and provide the oomph to step down into the deeper slab.</p> <p>Problem 3: Warming. Even today the sun was having an effect, and with warmer temps tomorrow, this will be a concern.</p>
Sheltered areas away from ridges hold good riding conditions. Near the ridges the wind has increased density and reduced depth on South facing slopes. Northerly winds were forming a medium-density wind slab near the ridge top.