Quick report
- Cracking
- specific
- Collapsing
- isolated
Today's North wind was building a fresh batch of wind slabs along exposed ridges and in the alpine. Some very small "peelers" may have been possible in this area late this afternoon as recent snow sluffs off steep, crusty, slopes in the sun. Unlike further north, where more recent snow has fallen, it will take a bit more heat here to get a wet cycle started.
Cracking in 20-40 cm fresh drifts on south-facing slopes along an exposed middle/upper elevation ridge. One significant collapse under a very large wind pillow along the ridge.Weather
- Air Temp
- Teens-mid 20s F
- Cloud Cover
- scattered
- Wind Loading
- moderate
- Rain Elevation
- n/a
- Recent Snowfall
- ~3-5 cm since 3/10
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
It was partly cloudy to start the day. Clouds increased from the East, creating mostly cloudy skies for much of the tour. It cleared slightly again after noon. Some very light snowfall with no accumulation. A moderate North wind blew. There was enough soft snow on North faces to provide building material for small slabs on South faces.
Snowpack
Wind slab formation lee to recent W and WSW was less prominent here as it's only snowed ~5 cm since 3/10. These small drifts were unreactive. Today's North wind had ample snow available for transport. Wind slabs were forming during my tour. Some were up to ~40 cm thick.
Sunny slopes (HS ~100 cm) are a complex stack of several crusts and facets. These crusts are less numerous and weaker as you move to shadier slopes (HS ~125-150 cm). Noticeably weaker snow exists at the base of the snowpack on most slopes.
Avalanche
No new avalanches.