Quick report
- Aspect
- North
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2987 m
- Slope Angle
- 13°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Just about everything in the red flag playbook was observed today. Numerous avalanches identified along SR-35 up to wolf creek pass - a majority of them amongst the North half of the compass. Countless collapses and rumbling "whoomphs" were observed during my uphill travels. Probing and digging below snow surfaces indicated that our significant new load is interacting poorly with our January Drought layer. Moderate with brief periods of strong SW-NW winds were actively transporting snow, primarily in near/at treeline elevations. </p>
The snowpit photo above illustrates the extent of new snow accumulation atop an already weak and poorly structured snowpack within sheltered, mid-elevation, north-facing terrain. Numerous collapses were observed along our January Drought layer through my travels. This location has remained largely unaffected by recent wind activity; however, one can reasonably infer that slabs being built with our new snow within the windzone and/or exposed locations would be considerably larger, stiffer, and more connected through terrain features.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Old, weak January snow has been capped by nearly 80cm (32in) of new snow in past 48 hours. The January Drought layer is showing it's true colors today, and likely to remain reactive given the rapid adjustments, or lack thereof, from our new load.</p> <p>Significant snowfall rates and rapid accumulations have built reactive slabs atop a variety of snow surfaces, including our weak and faceted, January Drought layer. </p>
HS across NW-N-NE facing terrain between 8900-9900ft averaged 110-170cm in HS - with our new, fairly unsettled storm snow doubling our existing snowpack depths. 60-80cm (24-32in) of new snow was evenly distributed across sheltered terrain, with 10cm (4in) accumulating during my travels from late AM - early PM. New snow is resting "right-side up" in sheltered terrain, where sustained winds have not had as much effect on snow surfaces recently. Snowfall was still ocurring at 1-2in/hr rates upon leaving the field around 3:00pm.