Quick report
I observed some wet avalanche activity in the Boulders, Smokys, and western Smokys from yesterday. Today, wet avalanches were most likely on slopes where recent storm snow had remained mostly dry and also received a little direct sun.
Weather
- Cloud Cover
- broken
- Wind Loading
- none
- Recent Snowfall
- <1 cm
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
It was mostly cloudy N the SNRA with a bit more sun to the south of the SNRA. It was very lightly snowing in the Headwaters and on Galena Pass with no real accumulation. It was still lightly snowing in the Boulders at 1:30 PM as I headed S. There was a light W or NW wind in the Headwaters without blowing snow. The clouds over the White Clouds and Boulders were moving quickly, though, so I'd expect wind speeds to be greater above ~10,000'.
Snowpack
The slow burn of storm snow thus far appears to have limited wet loose activity in the Boulders, Smokys, and western Smokys. Avalanches from yesterday's mostly sunny weather were D1-D1.5 in size and did not appear to gouge below the crust they ran on. Today began warmer, and some limited sunshine this morning overcame weak crusts on E that had remained mostly dry. I was able to initiate large pinwheels and rollerballs that verged on the edge of small wet loose at middle and upper elevation today. I'd imagine similar conditions on WNW-NW aspects if the late afternoon/evening sun made an appearance today.
On sunnier aspects, the recent snow was baked into an aerated 10-15 cm crust over moist snow below. Cloud cover kept these aspects from softening while I was in the field. All of the easy pickings were cleaned from these slopes.
The new snow amounts since 4/3 were ~25 cm on a shaded slope at 8,300'. A ski-cut and large cornices produced no results on upper elevation N and NW. I did not experience any cracking or collapsing or find any sensitive wind slabs.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2
- Aspect
- N
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 9800 ft
Although the light was generally pretty flat, I had decent visibility into the Boulders and Smokys and saw mostly roller balls and D1-1.5 wet loose from yesterday. There were 10 or so wet loose on S and SW aspects around 10,200' in Cherry Ck (pic in Savage Ob). One in S-facing slopes mid-basin climbing toward Lorenzos (pic in Savage Ob). There were a handful near/on Galena Peak in the NW bowl and on a lower WNW aspect of Cabin Pk above Gladiator Ck.