Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Rapid Warming
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>With a massive wet cycle observed in the last week, heavy rains and not a deep refreeze my focus was on the layer possibly bridging over the wet snow underneath. I was watching for punching through, wet snow surface clues and for wind deposits. The snowpack felt bombproof under the nice trace of new snow. In some areas where the trace of snow was blown off the surface, what looked like a sheet of ice glowed in the sun. Sisters bowl looks wind loaded at the top, and has some spots where that ice sheet is easily observed. It is important to treat closed resort terrain/ periphery terrain as uncontrolled avalanche terrain. We ski these runs all winter and dont have to worry, but now it is time to get real and be aware of the dangers. </p>
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>I will definitely be suspicious of all aspects and elevations for wet activity, especially any solar aspects tomorrow. The forecast looks warm and sunny. </p>
An hard to ski dust on crust on all slopes at high elevations in the morning hours turned to an enjoyable soft/ but damp surface conditions that were fun to ski. The snow skiied fast until lower elevations. The bottom of strawberry is all melted off. There were wind slabs under the ridgelines which i tried jumping on but were not reactive. These slabs were soft and very shallow (>3”). The winds were blowing a little but there wasn’t any snow available for transport in toured areas. West facing felt scoured and hard, and didn’t soften up during the duration of my tour. West facing was unenjoyable skiing.