Quick report
- Aspect
- East
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2621 m
- Slope Angle
- 25°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Observed some wind transport/loading on higher ridges this morning. We found wind slabs in areas well off of the ridge tops on northerly aspects. Upper Mill A looked blasted by the wind. All cracking was localized, no shooting cracks observed. Northerly aspects still contain basal facets.</p> <p>With the inverted snow and wind affect, I was surprised by the lack of in-your-face red flags such as collapsing and shooting cracks.</p>
EEN would be my best guess for the true aspect of the snow profile .
Photo below, wind slab in Mill A, north aspect. These were failing at easy in columns and ECTP 1, Q2 at 8-14" depths in this area. Note, this is only 150' away from my snow profile on an EEN aspect that was ECTN, This highlights the variable nature of the current upper snow pack.
Hazard is a tough call and very variable. I would say moderate in wind sheltered areas and considerable in wind affected areas. All of the potential hazard we observed was in the upper snow pack.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Wind slabs were my primary concern today, we stuck to generally sheltered terrain, but did observe wind slabs on north aspects (see photo below). Some of these were fairly reactive in quick columns/ECTPs (e.g. ECTP1 Q2 at 12") but on a localized scale. I cut a couple of drifts on the Mill A ridge without results. I would imagine that it might be a different story in the alpine.</p> <p>Localized moderate to perhaps considerable in areas traveled today</p> <p>Basal facets still lurking,.....</p> <p>Low to moderate danger.</p>
8" from the last couple of storms in this area, hard to tell exactly from winds even down low in Mill A. Mostly what I would call dense powder. Upper 2-3" were dense and inverted. Trail breaking was a bit of work.
Many south aspects will have a crust tomorrow, SE aspects holding up a bit better. Wind crusts/slabs in exposed areas and some in sheltered areas as well.