Quick report
- Aspect
- Northeast
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2987 m
- Slope Angle
- 28°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>See the 8,800' image and the 9,800' snow profile where the poor snowpack structure is very evident. We stuck to mid-elevations and close to trees so we only experienced the wind loading on a couple of sections of exposed ridgeline.</p>
I was curious to see what was under the new snow on the northwest to north to northeast mid-elevation aspects today. There was significant spatial variability in both aspect and elevation. In the areas we traveled, we only found a wind slab on a few exposed ridge areas which become more sensitive as the day progressed due to additional snowfall and increasing winds. We dug several hasty pits and did not observe any hard slabs above or below our weak layers.
On our third lap we triggered the small slide below adjacent to our skin track. This small mid-elevation section of ridge was wind loading much more than higher elevations and it was in this area that we had numerous cracks as well as being able to easily trigger small slides from a cornice or rollover.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The winds were picking up during the day and a lot of snow was being transported. See photo of small slide that we triggered on a small rollover next to our skin track on our 3rd lap.</p> <p>With additional weight being added to the snow, I expect the weak layers to become active on Monday.</p>
Under the new snow the snow ranged from a slippery, supportable crust that was difficult to skin over to breakable crust. The NW aspects had more crust layers than NE and were less supportable.
The wind on the ridges was very strong and transporting significant amounts of snow. From 9,500' to 10,000' our skin track was filling in after only 40 minutes. As the day progressed, the wind drifted snow was getting more sensitive and we started to experience cracking and we were easily able to cause small avalanches on any rollover.