Quick report
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Cracking, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>The snowfall wasn't especially heavy, but we initiated some long-running sloughs in the new snow on fairly steep (upper 30's-40 degrees) northerly-facing aspects.</p> <p>Poor snowpack structure was confined to the summit ridgeline. The snowpack along the NW side of the ridge was shallow (2-3 feet) with 4-6" of new snow, a 6"-thick wind slab under the new snow, and 1-2 feet of sugary, faceted snow below the wind slab. We experienced some cracking in this wind slab, but the cracks never propagated more than a few feet.</p> <p>Snowpack structure was good in areas with a deeper snowpack. </p>
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>We set off some long-running sloughs on northerly aspects. They were large enough to be consequential if a person was caught in/above a terrain trap or in no fall-zone terrain.</p> <p>The wind slabs from the wind events earlier this week seem to have settled out pretty well. I'd still be cautious in shallow snowpack areas where the slabs are sitting on weaker snow.</p>
The upper elevations (approx 9000'+) on Kessler picked up a quick 4-6" while we were up there. The below that new snowfall was in the 2-3" range. Sheltered northerly aspects skied surprisingly well. Actually some of the best turns of the season!