Quick report
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>No red flags observed today, but the possibility for deeper avalanches to happen is still out there. Although old news, the slide along the Humpy Peak ridge line is a good indicator that weak snow still exists on north through east facing slopes. </p>
This avalanche may have happened during the big wind event at the first of the month when the area saw other big natural avalanches. I'm guessing strong southwest winds overloaded a thin weak snow pack on this northeast facing slope. It took out the seasons entire snow pack along with a few small evergreen trees. Not a real wide slide, but again the crowns on these deep avalanches this season continue to be real eye openers.
These are the types of slopes that lure us into them with nice cold powder and not too many trees. How could this slope avalanche when there is bushes and vegetation poking through the snow? Once we collapse the weak snow around the bushes and if the slope is connected to thicker snow above and to the side, we are likely dealing with a large deep avalanche.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Still keeping the deep slab problem as the #1 issue. Although getting more isolated, it is still very possible to trigger one of these deep avalanches with the right terrain. </p> <p>I did not observe any wind issues today, but the Uintas always seem to generate plenty of wind. In the high wind exposed terrain a few old wind slabs may still be lurking out there. Looks like winds are forecasted to ramp up this evening with the approaching storm, so tomorrow may have more wind slabs and drifted snow developing. </p>
Good spring conditions with riders able to access lots of terrain with ease. Very nice riding and turning on high sheltered north facing slopes. South aspects still kept a breakable crust into the early afternoon.