Quick report
- Red Flags
- Poor Snowpack Structure
Despite the lack of in-your-face instabilities (avalanches, collapsing, cracking, unstable pit results), the poor snowpack structure of a buried PWL with a stronger slab on top kept us off of steeper slopes facing northwest through east. This snowpack structure is concerning and it can't be trusted. I feel there are isolated areas where a 1-2'+ deep slab could be triggered if a rider hit the right spot on the slope.
The good news is that the storm snow from late this past week plus on Sunday morning is providing great riding conditions on slopes above about 7,000' so there are excellent options without committing to steeper, northerly-facing slopes where the PWL resides.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Dug a few detailed pits with several quick pits and pole probes. The PWL is down 15-60 cms (6" - 24") on northerly aspects with a variety of slab thicknesses on top. All pits were ECTX (no fracture of extended column test) or ECTN with 20+ taps. One compression test did get CT 22 down 45 cms on the layer of Jan/Feb facets, but all others were CTN (no fracture).</p> <p> </p> <p>Despite jumping on all sorts of suspect slopes, no collapses or cracking.</p> <p> </p> <p>At lower elevations (below 7,000') there are some dry facets underneath stout melt/freeze crusts and it is possible an avalanche could fail more deeply on the PWL.</p>
~5 cms of damp snowfall that bonded well to the old snow surface. Some wind drifts found at mid and upper elevations. Below ~7K the upper ~30 cms of the snowpack was damp on all aspects.