Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking, Rapid Warming
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Lots of wind after about mid-morning or so, lots of plumes on the higher peaks, cross loading off of the ridge tops. Mostly soft cracking within the new snow, mostly on density inversions. Soft cracking in drifts along the ridge tops. Skin track was blowing in on every run. Of Note: 1 shooting crack in East Bowl, cross loaded in a gully well off the ridge top, crack shot about 35' in front of me on a 35 degree slope, did not run.</p> <p>Warming was not as pronounced as expected due to the wind, SE aspects were only slightly damp on my exits. Sheltered south aspects may have a crust tomorrow. </p>
Photos
1. Wind drifts on Patsy Marley, tracks are from today, yesterday's tracks are blown in.
2. Surface Hoar and graupe.
Really thin cover for this time of the year!
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Moderate Danger</p> <p>If the sun comes out tomorrow</p>
2" new overnight, however my tracks from yesterday evening on Patsy Marley were blown in. Photo of wind drifting below. Surface hoar (photo below) on most aspects this morning at sunrise, most was broken down by warm/wind by time I left at 12.30. Light snow started at noon or so.
About 5-6" sitting on a mostly supportable surface. Some areas of slightly damp snow in the mid pack on due north aspects in East Bowl of Silver Fork, easy to push a ski pole 48" down in these areas.
New snow is well bonded, did not observe any sluffing on steep slopes.
Snow is wind "thickened" in places.