Quick report
Traveled into the Middle Fork to take a peek at some of the bigger terrain in the region and look for recent avalanche activity. Success! • Observed several glide avalanches as well as rippled surfaces on slopes prone to gliding. Timing of occurrence unknown. • Observed several wet point release avalanches on very steep south facing terrain in southern Glacier Park. Suspected to have occurred Monday afternoon (12.2.24) • General impression was that the snowpack is relatively quiet and stable at this time, However the upper pack on polar aspects has been steadily faceting and weakening after repeated days of clear cold nights above the inversion. • Riding quality was excellent on polar aspects for the time being. Boot top powder and sparkly. • Glide activity observed in Upper Stanton Creek and the West Fork of Tunnel Creek. See Avalanche Tabs. •Wet Loose activity observed in southern Glacier Park. See Avalanche Tabs
Weather
- Air Temp
- 28
- Cloud Cover
- few
- Wind Loading
- none
- Recent Snowfall
- 0
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Sunny, comfortable day above the stratus. • Light winds with a few moderate gusts near my high point (7,100'). • Air temp remained near and below freezing all day. • The status deck was at 4,600' early in the day and slowly lowered to 4,200 by days end. • South of Cascadilla Creek, the inversion significantly broke down late in the afternoon, When I arrived back at my car around 430pm there was no stratus overhead. I quickly drove back into the inversion as I made my way north of Cascadilla.
Snowpack
No full pits today. Some hand pits and surface obs. • Average snow depth on shaded slopes at upper elevations is about 1 meter. • The late November snowfall that makes up our upper pack is slowly but surely transforming into near surface facets. • On shaded slopes at upper elevations, these facets are capped by surface hoar that ranges from 2mm to 8mm depending on how protected the location is. • Surface hoar was not as prevalent at lower and middle elevations. At least not in the forest that I traveled through. • Solar aspects continue to develop a sun crust. • The snowpack has remained relatively dry below ~4500 due to the persistent air stagnation/stratus deck this week. • A handpit at 6,600' on a NE aspect revealed ~10inches of dry faceted snow at the surface, 1F decomposing AR crust, and faceting rounds beneath the crust. Picture attached.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2
- Type
- WL
- Count
- 4
- Aspect
- SW
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 9000 ft
• Glide Avalanches and Glide Ripples observed on The Great Northern as well as Mount Grant. • Wet Loose avalanches observed on Mount Stimson as well as Eaglehead Mountain