Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>From a distance we noticed a medium slab that appeared to begin as a point release and eventually propagated into a larger wind slab. See picture below. Unsure if the skier who's tracks are next to it triggered the slide or if it was a natural avalanche. In any case it was hard to tell from a distance just how big it was, that being said even from far away a crown was visible. </p>
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The combination of yesterday's slide in West Monitor as well as this release in Cardiac are enough to keep me away from steeper wind loaded terrain for the time being. Yesterday's wind loading coupled with new snow overnight makes me concerned about buried wind slabs for the time being. </p> <p>Dug a quick shallow pit at 7800' E facing to check out the various crusts we're dealing with at mid elevations. Below the new snow and rain/MF crust there was a stout slab, 1F to pencil hardness atop of a thick crust around 95cm from the ground. It was tough to tell exactly what was going on directly above and below the crust but I found weaker snow around the crust. Something to look out for if cold temperatures persist. </p>
At 7800' in a sheltered area I measured 18cm of new snow on top of a thin crust. Not sure if this was melt freeze or rain, but by the time we reached upper elevations the crust disappeared. Graupel in the new snow down low, higher elevations had perfect powder. In George's bowl we did not note any significant wind loading or slabs, but the west facing runs off Reed and Benson ridge appeared to be more affected by the wind.