Quick report
- Aspect
- Northeast
- Red Flags
- Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2591 m
- Slope Angle
- 23°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>there is a persistent 1cm ice layer from December 20th. It's buried 10"-12" throughout the area. It's sitting on top of 4" of faceted snow, which is sitting on top of another 10" of weak snow, (the lower 4" are moist) then the, large, facet layer at the ground.. The new snow fails on isolation just below the ice layer. </p>
In steep terrain, I would expect to trigger avalanches. I would also expect them to fail and then step down into the old, weak layers. Today was a low angle day with little human traffic in the area. Snow totals in this area are still shallow 26"-34" And it's still very likely that snowmobiles will punch through to the ground. ( I tested this theory and it is correct.)
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The SSW wind blew all day above 7500'. Cornices and wind slabs continued to build.</p> <p>lower elevation, terrain trap areas. Temps were in the 40's by 1300 today, creating roller balls and melting snow.</p>
The new snow was varied today with a mixture of powder, in the sheltered areas, and dense loose in the wind blown areas.