Quick report
- Red Flags
- Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>In protected areas the new cold snow was producing easy shears in the graupel above the old snow/new snow surface, but this was only noted in the morning hours when the snow was still cold and dry. By mid afternoon, Slope Cuts were easily producing Wet Loose Avalanches that were capable of entraining significant amounts of new snow that were sliding easily on the old m/f crusts. Roller ball activity was Widespread on all aspects by mid afternoon. Manageable Loose Dry Avalanches were Widespread in the new cold snow in the morning hours, and likely through the afternoon in the highest reaching Upper Elevation steep terrain on the Northerlies. </p>
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>See above, and this problem will likely have played itself out significantly by Saturday. </p> <p>New Snow/Loose Dry as described above will continue to be a manageable issue in the highest North facing steep terrain. And, even though the Isolated Wind Slabs observed on Friday were Stubborn and mostly Unreactive, there may still be a few very Isolated lingering Wind Slabs in the highest reaches of the Upper Elevation Northerly facing terrain on Saturday. </p> <p> </p> <p>Despite the potential for the above Avalanche Problems on Friday, the Danger appeared to be Low and completely manageable with limited consequences in most terrain due to the limited amounts of new snow. </p>
Storm snow totals enhanced by altitude. 8000: skiff, 9000: 1 inch, 9500: 2 inches, 10,000 in Upper BCC: 4 inches, 10,000 Upper LCC: 6 inches. Riding was excellent in the dense new snow and the best riding was in the cold dry snow at the Upper Elevations on Moderate to Low Angled slopes. The Steeper terrain was still fun, but you could feel the bottom. It was, and is critical to find the smoothest slopes that don't have old tracks or avalanche debris. Wind had created Isolated Stubborn Wind Drifts up to 12 inches deep, with scouring down to the old m/f crusts in exposed terrain. All aspects got damp by early afternoon including northerlies with slope angles less than 25 degrees.