Quick report
Lots of avalanche terrain was reasonable today in this area, given the lack of instability in new snow layers and a stronger snowpack than seen in other parts of this zone. Enough uncertainty in deeper layers to avoid the steepest start zones - especially wind-loaded ones - at upper elevations or slopes with serious consequences in the runout. Very, very good riding conditions with fluffy pow over more supportable snow . . . .
None observedWeather
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- none
- Recent Snowfall
- 15 overnight/80 storm total
- Snow Avail For Transport
- large amounts
Broken skies until noon, when clouds thickened and light snowfall began. Calm at mid-elevations. Precious wind transport at and above 6000'
Snowpack
At mid-elevations 15cm of F new snow over another 60-70cm of 1F snow that fell on Feb 24th PM to Feb 26th AM. The only unstable layer in the new snow was a 2cm layer of 5mm graupel below the top layer of F snow. 2/11, 2/14, and 2/19 interfaces are all identifiable above EFC, with thin crusts marking all of them. The weakest snow (1F rounding facets) was found just below 2/11 MFcr down 120cm - CTH-SP 1x. A total of 130cm over K-hard EFC.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2.5 R3
- Type
- HS
- Aspect
- NW
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 5800 ft
There were a few very small loose, dry avalanches starting in very steep terrain and a single D2.5 on a northwest aspect that released during the storm, probably on the 25th. Crown and chunky debris was mostly covered by new snow. There were no signs of natural avalanche activity anywhere else in Glacier Creek, including Grouse and Heliotrope Ridges, Skyline Divide, and Mt. Baker proper.