Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Cracking
Outside of wind-affected terrain, the new snow was unreactive to ski cuts or other quick stability tests, but any slope that was wind-loaded was reactive. Most drifts were shallow (< 15 cms) but avalanches were propagating widely. A ski cut on a wind-loaded north-facing slope avalanched down 45 cms, failing on the temperature crust that formed during Friday's warmup. It seemed that *any* amount of wind-drifting created sensitive soft slabs.
Photos of
- shallow soft slab of wind-drifted snow on east aspect off of Twin Lakes Pass ridgeline
- deeper soft slab of wind-drifted snow on north aspect off of Patsy Marley ridgeline
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Wind-loaded slopes were sensitive. Most drifts were shallow (< 15 cms), but one drift was up to 45 cms thick.</p>
The density of the fresh snow was elevation-dependent, with dry snow above 9,500'.