Quick report
- Aspect
- Southwest
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3200 m
- Slope Angle
- 29°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>I went looking for areas that were more wind scoured to see if I could find a more shallow snowpack in the high elevation. I did not note any recent natural avalanches in my travels (visibility was limited). Previous heavy snowfall with storm totals up to 19" snow and 4" water on top of poor structure with wind loading. </p>
Previous travel plan for the day as well as snow pit information led me to stick with southerly facing slopes under 30 degrees. There was still good skiing to be had. This was one of the worst profiles I've seen in quite some time. Any more steepness or additional 1 finger slab over the weak layer would have made me apprehensive to ski that slope.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The persistent weak layer is still out there and still being activated. In deeper snowpack zones it appears to be healing, but the spatial variability leads me to not trust steep slopes with a persistent weak layer and a slab on top regardless of depth of snowpack. </p>