Quick report
It was a nice quiet spring day. Temperatures started out cool, below freezing but unsurprisingly warmed quickly. The late April sun is strong!. About 8 cm of melt freeze crust fully broke down by noon, and it became possible to trigger a wet loose avalanche on a steep slope facing the sun. Wet loose was the primary avalanche hazard of the day at mid elevations with no dry snow to be found in this area. Clouds increased in the afternoon, may have tamed the warming a bit. Easily triggered roller balls once crusts fully broke down, also post hold above the ankles on snowshoes several are more times by late morning. There are a number of old glide cracks, some have opened more in the past few weeks.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 42
- Cloud Cover
- scattered
- Recent Snowfall
- 15
- Snow Avail For Transport
- none
It was a classic spring day. The morning started out sunny and cool, but temperatures warmed quickly. Hot in the sun, with clouds building into the afternoon. Cooler underneath clouds and even a few stray snow flurries as we were exiting at 1400. Winds were light.
Snowpack
About 15 cm of recent snow at 5000 feet from Sunday which is now becoming a crust. There were two 4 cm melt freeze crusts on most aspects to begin the day, which felly broke down on solars by noon. Weak moist 1 F melt forms below crust transitioning to stronger P hard grains near 70 cm.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2 R2
- Type
- WL
- Aspect
- S
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 5000 ft
A number of large old wet loose and a more recent glide avalanche above the boulder field on herman. Evidence of recent human triggered wet loose, up to D1 in the afternoon.