Quick report
- Aspect
- North
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking
- Elevation
- 3048 m
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Localized cracking in wind drifts and sensitive cornices. Seemed mostly on high elevation ridge lines. </p>
Mostly, new snow instabilities strengthen and settles out fast. I can't help but be a bit suspicious of the poor bonding below the ice crust. ECT - no propagation, CT12. This issue is pretty limited to northerly facing, upper elevation slopes, and will need more snow (that we probably won't get). My current theory is the thinner the crust, the greater the chance of any slide breaking out below it. But I didn't test my theory with too many pits.
Photos Below:
First photo - when you find a patch where the wind has scoured away all the new snow, down to ice, it's time to look for where that snow has gone.
Second photo - wind drifting snow
Third photo - Cracky soft cornice along the ridge line.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Winds drifts and sensitive cornices along the higher ridge lines. Up to 18" deep in a few spots, 8 to 12" deep more the average. Erratic loading pattern - as of 3 pm, NW ridge line of Patsy Marley had way more drifting than the slopes above Twin Lakes side. Will be definitely need to keep an eye on the wind where ever you are tomorrow.</p> <p>Any sun breaks tomorrow will heat the new snow fast. With only a few new inches, shallow wet sluffs are all that are expected, especially on steep slopes, if pushed. May happen tomorrow, may wait a few days - just depends when the sun comes out.</p>
Dense powder, with imbedded layers of small graupel.