Quick report
- Aspect
- Northeast
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2743 m
- Slope Angle
- 22°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>PWL problem is well known and a contributor to multiple avalanches. It seems like the wind has been blowing since Wednesday. </p> <p>We did observe one in an unusual spot, well down in the trees that is submitted separately. </p>
In some ways, we didn't really need to dig today. Accidents from the last week have made the problematic structure of the snow clear. Nonetheless, it was interesting to see how much more senstive the PWLs are than even previous in pits dug in the same location earlier this season.
In addition, one purpose of snow pits are to test for instability as a way to extrapolte to other slopes that you may want to ski. The test results line up with recent skiing results.
Eye popping propogation. The PST landed in Chad's lap.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The new snow has re-activiated the PWLs. It seems like there are at least two that are particularly problematic. The most obvious are the weak facets at the ground. After that, there is a layer of near surface facets that formed early to mid-January. We observed pit results on both layers.</p> <p>Strong winds mostly from the west have been loading lee slopes it seems like since Wednesday. Cornices were more overhanging today.</p>
Wind had been far down into trees and lower elevations over the past few days which created a hodgepode of snow conditions. At least more of the vegetation is now covered.
Today was really to get outside, so skiing conditions were not so relevant in a way.