Quick report
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Heavy wind loading on the ridges</p>
photos:
1. Mild storm sluffing on a 52 deg. test slope
2. Cornice formation, note the southwest ridge in the background is nearly bare of snow. Yesterday it was covered with snow.
3&4. Cornice fracture, very sensitive. This was a sofa sized cornice drop even though the photo does not show it.
The wind slab is not to be trusted. It was sensitive and difficult to see with the flat light. (easier to feel the hollowness). The conditions down low are awesome with low hazard as I observed.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>4-8 inch wind slab on the exposed ridges. There is a bunch of snow being transported up there.</p> <p>The cornices are growing! Many of the ridges that I have traveled for 30 years are much wider than ever due to the snow transport making it seem as though the ridge is actually wider, it is difficult to tell where the earth ends and the snow begins. </p>
Nice light density snow down low, many wind blown areas up higher. Great turning in the protected areas at low and mid elevation.