Quick report
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Heavy snowfall over the past couple of days has created a significant load. ECT yielded some results with no propagation and a rough sheer in what appears to be a density change within the new snow. Slope was wind loaded, protected, and tends to maintain surface hoar. PWLs have been observed by others in the past couple of days in the Cutler area, though we found no evidence of them in our pit. No PWLs were seen in the upper 100 cm of the pit where the height of snow was 220 cm. There is a chance that they are buried deeper in that location. Chose to stick to low angle terrain today.</p>
ECT on a NE facing slope at 7,200ft.
Rollerballs initiated by a ski turn.
Moderate winds with no snow transport. Rimed up trees in background on upper ridge.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p> Dug a pit on a NE aspect at 7,200ft. ECT11 in a layer about 25 cm from the surface and ECT26 in a layer about 50 cm from the surface with no propagation and Q3 sheer. Failures were in the new snow, possibly a density change during the storm. With more new snow forecasted for Monday this problem will continue with increasing danger. </p> <p>Snow was sticky and rollerballs began to form from ski turns, see pictures below. With temperatures forecasted to decrease this avalanche problem will go away for the next couple days. </p>
Snow was damp up to at least 8,000 ft though noticeably more sticky at lower elevations. There was little to no snow available for transport. With moderate winds no snow transport was observed, even on the upper ridges. Trees at upper elevations were covered with rime. Warm temps or rime may be the reason for no snow transport on upper ridges where snow transport would be expected. With the warmer temperatures there is less of a temperature gradient within the snow. This may be helping to heal the snow pack. Our quick pit (100 cm deep) showed no signs of PWLs, but with obvious wind loading and deep snow pack (220 cm) we may not have dug down far enough to get to them.