Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
The 6 inches of new snow near treeline provided OK turns, but the crust below is felt while riding. Lower-density storm snow at the crusty interface could create a small, soft slab problem if overnight weather forecasts verify. I would guess that well-drifted features at higher elevations pose a small, soft slab problem. Slopes without wind-loading steeper than 40 degrees are likely to sluff.
On features steeper than 40 degrees, it was easy to produce loose avalanches in the new snow. I hunted for drifted features in this near treeline zone and only produced short running cracks.Weather
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- light
- Recent Snowfall
- 15
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
About 6 inches of new snow at treeline. Occasionally gusty winds transporting snow in open areas.
Snowpack
Storm totals around 6 inches at 1 pm near treeline. There is lower-density snow near the crust interface with denser snow above, including a graupel layer at the surface. I didn't encounter any significant wind loading in this terrain, but leeward features were top-heavy and produced short cracks. Today's easy sluffing on steep features could produce shallow soft slabs with more snowfall, or wind slab issues on well-drifted features at higher elevations.
Avalanche
- Size
- D1 R1
- Type
- L
- Aspect
- N
- Trigger
- AS
- Elevation
- 11400 ft
A couple small, loose dry avalanches on the steepest features in this area.