Quick report
- Collapsing
- isolated
Storms on 5/16 and 5/17 left 1-3" of new snow above 6,000'. In the early afternoon today the sun broke through several times and caused small cornice failures that triggered loose wet avalanches that ran for hundreds of feet on East and SE aspects. The new snow was so shallow that, despite the distances traveled and the width of the debris fields, the avalanches appeared to be D-0. There may have been wind loaded aspects above 7600 that had enough snow to be dangerous, but visibility was bad today. Small amounts of snow coming off crampons and going down the east easpect of Monitor Ridge at 7600' triggered swarms of roller balls that reached dinner plate size. On a south aspect at 8000' at 9 am, my steps triggered two impressive wumpfs, but the snow was shallow, the slope angle only about 20 degrees, and this was observed only in a 100' stretch. Shallow snow on the actual route kept apparent risk minimal, but there may be wind loaded slopes on other slopes that were dangerous today. The first half of the day was foggy and calm with early morning rain and snow. By afternoon there were brief sunny periods and intensifying squalls that pushed snowfall down to 5,000' by 3 pm.
Avalanche
From 6000-7600', roller balls and many loose wet avalanches, often running several hundred feet. Two big whumpfs on a south aspect at 8000'.