Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading
Easterly winds are forecast overnight. I think Tom Kimbrough said, “weird weather means weird avalanches.” I’ll be looking for loading in unusual (west facing) terrain.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>We noticed the (unusual) SE winds while traversing and then descending from the western ridge of Days Fork into Cardiff. A ski cut on a NW 38 degree slope easily produced an 8” deep 80’ wide SS-AS-D1.5-I that ran the length of our ski run, approx 700’. While this was a small avalanche, it could knock a skier off her feet, and the ski cut produced what we hoped it would before we skied. Photos 1 and 2.</p> <p>Traveling the ridge between Cardiff and Mineral, we again noted the ESE winds (and snow transport in the direction opposite to the usual cornice pattern) and saw cracking on the ridge, but the wind effect was specific to the ridge (no loading noted lower on the slope we skied). Photo 3. </p> <p>We found a substantial crust (breakable wind crust vs a rime crust?) in Mineral on the west through east facing slopes between 9200 and 8600 that affected ski quality (but at least the light was flat). I wonder if this happened during yesterday’s cold temps with intermittent clouds/ available moisture. Just speculating; trees weren’t showing rime. </p>