Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Rapid Warming
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>The only red flags that were readily visible were a few shallow dry sluffs coming off below and on top of rocky outcroppings on the sun facing aspects and wind transport of snow. As the sun warmed the snow surface it would be reasonable to expect the possibility small wet loose slides. The snow was seemingly stable in the morning hours before the sun hit it. The wet loose activity was all from yesterday (3/26) and likely occurred later in the day as the snow surface was warmed and the exposed rocks trapped solar heat. We noticed snow transport along the high elevation ridge lines, depositing in isolated areas. These could form wind slabs under ideal conditions. </p>
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>While not visible in the morning, it is likely that wet loose slides began to occur later in the day. We saw evidence of recent wet loose activity from the day before rolling off of exposed rocks and areas that trap solar heat. Later in the day as this process repeats itself it is likely that loose wet snow is likely to create problems for those traveling in terrain where the consequences of such a slide are higher. </p> <p>With moderate winds there is new, low density snow available for transport. We expected faceting occurring on and around the snow surface early in the morning. If there is enough consistent wind transporting snow, we should see small wind slabs developing in isolated areas. These would be formed on a stout crust giving these slabs a frictionless surface to slide on and could break easily. </p>
Soft dry snow on top of a supportable crust on the northern aspects. The new snow from the tail end of last weekend's system was low density and skied very well. There was a slick crust below it, however the new snow supported the weight of a skier very well.