Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Big red flag was the moderate to strong south and southeast winds. With plenty of new snow to blow around fresh and very touchy cornices and soft wind slabs were easily triggered today. Around mid-morning these were barely manageable, but by early afternoon these were packing more of a punch and were more dense.</p>
1. It was full on winter this morning riding into the Whitney area with moderate snowfall, gusty winds and visibility was a bit limited at times. 2-4. Very sensitive soft wind slabs off the ridge lines breaking up to 12" deep and 50' wide. 5. Moderate to strong south and southeast winds were drifting lots of new snow creating these sensitive conditions.
Cornices were very touchy and would trigger these soft slabs, some packing a bit of a punch with denser snow.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Fresh wind slabs and very touchy cornices were sensitive today. The first half of the morning these soft slabs were easily triggered along the north facing ridge lines and they were 8-10" deep and fist hardness. But by early afternoon these had become more like 12-14" deep, a little more touchy, more like a 4finger minus in hardness and these were no longer on the manageable side. </p>
Not quite blower powder out there today, but the new snow was riding fairly well in the protected areas when you could see in front of you. Where the wind has been moving the snow around somewhat stiff wind drifts were widespread and deep.