Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Widespread natural, remote, and sympathetic avalanching.</p>
With substantial water/snow/wind ahead, today's storm snow instabilities likely to be less of an issue going forward. In deeper snowpack areas (i.e. upper cottonwoods) am thinking avalanching will occur within storm snow and wind events. Am more concerned about thinner snowpack areas (< 1 meter) where the snowpack has different faceted layers that may produce deeper and wider avalanches.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Very sensitive storm snow this morning during period of higher precipitation intensity (PI) as well as some wind drifting. Avalanches were occurring on all aspects. A likely natural cycle mid-morning, with widespread remotely-triggered and sympathetic slides. All failing on density inversion within storm snow. All slides were breaking out 10-20 cms (4-8") deep, and running up to 250'. The largest slide we triggered was on steeper aspect on west-facing slope along Power Ridge in Cardiff Fork as we approached the slope. It triggered sympathetic releases further along the slope, up to 400' wide along the ridgeline. Widespread spider-webbing, and slopes required some steepness to run (> 35 degrees)</p> <p>Sensitivity decreased by mid-day.</p> <p>Photo and videos are of sensitive storm snow from Wednesday morning</p> <p> </p> <p> </p>
Very sensitive storm snow this morning with a density inversion. More details below.