Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Continued wind loading onto slopes that have buried weak faceted snow is enough information to demand recreation be kept on low angle slopes. Found some fresh drifts from overnight up to 3 feet deep.</p>
It was not the most productive field day today even though I traveled through quite a bit of terrain. Visibility was poor for most of the day so I was not able to get to look at many of the bigger avalanche paths to see if they had naturaled.
Trail breaking was becoming strenuous. I did feel lucky to bump into some real nice people who took me up to a sheltered low angled northerly facing slope. It provided very good powder skiing while I unsuccessfully attempted to 'wait out' the weather for better visibility and the possible glimpse into the larger paths.
I would speculate that the new snow and wind loading caused natural avalanches today.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The combination of new snow, wind, and the buried weak faceted snow makes this avalanche problem unmanageable. There is no way to justify getting onto steep slopes with this combination of factors. In fact, crossing under many of these slopes should not be attempted either.</p>
Just out of the Tibble Fork parking lot there was about an inch of new snow overnight sitting on a rime crust. Total snow depth since Tuesday was around 4".
High in Snake Creek there was about 10" of new snow from overnight. Rime crust was absent at this particular location. Total snow depth since Tuesday was 2'. Perfect powder today.