Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
- Collapsing
- isolated
We toured low angle terrain along Carpenter Ridge today. We dug a pit early on and confirmed the presence of the Jan 2 PWL with unstable snowpit test results. From there we intentionally traversed sub 30 degree slope angle areas where the slab of recent snow over the Jan 2 PWL was thinner and the weak layer was therefore closer to the surface. In two of these areas on N aspects we triggered slope scale snowpack collapse. In one area we also triggered shooting cracks 100' long. Digging out this crack it clearly went right down to the Jan 2 PWL of buried surface hoar.
Looking south to the Castle Pk - Basin Peak area we could see one recent avalanche (separate avalanche observation) and obvious blowing and drifting snow over the ridgetop. We commented on how much less drifting snow was occurred on the ridge we were traveling. That changed as the afternoon progressed and blowing snow amounts increased in our immediate area.
We traveled W-NW-N-NE-E aspect terrain near treeline and below treeline. Collapsing and cracking on the Jan 2 PWL of buried SH occurred in two areas on N aspects. Otherwise we covered a fair bit of terrain without triggering additional cracking or collapses.Weather
- Air Temp
- 17
- Cloud Cover
- clear
- Wind Loading
- moderate
- Recent Snowfall
- 25
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Visible drifting snow increased during the afternoon hours.
Snowpack
Jan 2 PWL of buried surface hoar was reactive in this area in some locations. Snowpit data also showed some signs of basal weak layers starting to exit a dormant state due to recent loading.