Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Noted cornice growth on north facing ridgelines with one small natural cornice fall skiers right of Two-Dogs that broke into dry loose new snow D.5. Some other cornices above the Silver Fork Headwall that looked as though they were assisted by humans with no results into the new snow. I observed what looked like a couple of old crowns on the more NNW facing sections of East Bowl at about 10,000' and 10,200' that had wind blown snow in them and were probably from a couple of days ago. </p>
Wind drifted snow on North-East facing terrain was adding weight. This in and of itself may cause problems, but the bigger concern would be slopes with the PWL intact or areas that have previously slid with small grain facets under wind drifted snow. I would give these slopes a wide margin as we move into another storm cycle. These slides have the potential to run wide and deep if triggered. I would stick with the high end of Considerable for avalanche danger and made my travel plans for today based on this rating.
Snowpack
Trace of new wind blown snow with growing cornices noted on the north facing ridgelines above Silver and Days Fork. Some cracking in the new snow less than 6" deep isolated to skis on steeper north and east facing portions of the ridge. Some of the southerly aspects had a breakable melt freeze/rime crust that was wind blown in spots. I noted some areas North facing around 9200' that still had intact graupel under about a foot of snow. This graupel seems to be slower to heal and I was still seeing hand shears isolated to areas where the graupel had pooled.