Quick report
- Aspect
- North
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2896 m
- Slope Angle
- 34°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Large shooting cracks were widespread on northerly facing slopes today along the cottonwood ridgeline. </p>
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Strong southerly winds were drifting the low-density snow onto the northern half of the compass and creating sensitive wind slabs 1'-2' deep. These slabs were hard and stiff in the most exposed terrain and significantly softer and less cohesive just a few hundred feet off the ridges Large shooting cracks were an obvious indicator you were in the sensitive slab areas, These slabs were not hair-trigger but easy to provoke an avalanche with some kicking and stomping in the right spots.</p> <p>The snow since Monday had not created a cohesive enough slab to bring the buried facets s to life..yet. It's not a matter of if, but when those layers will fail. The wind will certainly help to stiffen things up and help to create a more bonded slab over the weak layer that is now buried 8"-16" below the new snow. The crust layer will complicate things further and allow a greater load before the weak layer roars to life. I found the crust layer to be very thin (roughly 1c m) and very fragile today.</p> <p> </p>
Low-density snow made for bottom-feeding conditions on south aspect. Would not recommend south-facing little cottonwood canyon slopes tomorrow unless thin & rocky is your thing.