Quick report
- Red Flags
- Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>We triggered a locallized audible collapse or whumpf on a drifted low angle slope at around 9000'. Very weak snow in many slopes, only lacking a slab.</p>
Shallow wind slabs formed overnight in and around terrain features. Drifting snow is now capping very weak faceted snow formed during the Thanksgiving high pressure system.
Just went out to check the snow surface before the storm. Here's a look at the current coverage on some of the northeast and north facing slopes above Tony Grove Lake.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Shallow wind slab releases are possible in steep terrain. Wind slabs are building up on widespread very weak, faceted or sugary old snow. </p>
A big improvement in surface snow conditions with 2 inches of fresh snow and southwest winds smoothing out the wind and sun damaged surface from the weekend. The old snow is in bad shape though. The shallow snow cover, subjected to a strong temperature gradient, has become very weak , structureless and faceted, and in many places, even with skis on, you sink through sugary crystals all the way down to the ground.