Quick report
Avalanche hazards were small and relatively easy to recognize/manage in the new snow, making for opportune travel conditions through most avalanche terrain. Nevertheless, sensitive wind slabs near alpine ridgelines and developing wet loose issues warranted caution at high elevations.
Triggered tennis to bowling ball-sized rollerballs and a very small wind slab at 11:30 a.m. on the southeast face of Afley. Shallow dry sluffing on steep northerlies.Weather
- Cloud Cover
- broken
- Wind Loading
- light
- Recent Snowfall
- 20
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Along the Ruby Range, mostly cloudy skies this morning decreased to partly cloudy late morning, and cloud cover was increasing again as I was leaving just after noon. Light to moderate ridgetop winds with periods of light blowing snow. A dusting of snow overnight on top of the 10 to 25 cm that fell this storm cycle.
Snowpack
Between 11,000' and 12,000', settled storm totals were typically 4" to 6" of dense snow over a stout crust (those elevations saw some moistening/greenhouse warming yesterday). Above about 12,000 feet, storm totals reached up to 10 inches in some areas and had remained dry until today. That snow was starting to get wet on east and south aspects this morning, causing natural and skier-triggered rollerballs. Cloud cover and cooler temps prevented rapid wetting. I found a few fresh drifts up to 18" just below the Ruby Crest ridgeline; these reached only a few feet below the ridge, while most terrain lacked notable drifting.
Avalanche
- Size
- D1
- Type
- SS
- Count
- 6
- Aspect
- E
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 12200 ft
A handful of fresh wind slabs (D1) below leeward ridgelines of Mt. Owen.