Quick report
- Aspect
- West
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2865 m
- Slope Angle
- 28°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Not widespread but easy to find collapsing. We were on south and west facing slopes.</p>
Looked at the snow on West facing slopes in two locations. One was below treeline and the other was near treeline. See photos below. What is notable is that the low elevation snowpack has the November faceted layer, but it is too close to the ground and mixed in with the brush.
As you gain a little elevation where there was more snow on the ground in mid-November, the weak layer is above the surface roughness of the ground. In the second photo notice the line in the snow just above the rocks. This is the crust/facet layer. We know it is unstable because it produced collapsing today on S and W facing slopes near treeline.
The new snow was really deep....but it also camouflaged rocks and stumps. Lots of traction on the old hard base of snow just under the and just above the November faceted weak layer.
HEADS UP - There is a ton of new snow that is very light. Any amount of wind will easily transport this snow.
Snowpack
The new snow is incredibly light