Observation: Public

Observation Details

Observed Avalanches

Signs of Unstable Snow

Observations

This Observation should replace the one filed in the morning -- the site threw multiple 504 errors as we attempted to post from the field, and dumping snow made the touchscreen rapidly unusable. It would be awesome if we could find a way to edit/update Observations through the day.

Leaving the parking lot at ~8 am, a denser layer was apparent atop the snowpack. Backpack thermometer showed temperatures varying between -6 and -2C through the day, warmest at mid-day at around 5k. Skiing was quite good, but localized cracking was frequent near our skis.

The D2R4 shown above was not the complete extent of avalanches seen. Many west-facing slopes at and above 4.5k had slid or partially-slid (see photos). At least some of these avalanches were on the warm/cold divide in the storm snow.

Weather: Snowing all day, with only the occasional break.

Snowpack: Ski penetration went from below boot-top in the morning to well above boot-top by afternoon. The crust is still palpable in some ski turns, but getting buried quickly. Bring the big skis, it is time.

Stability: The denser snow that fell from morning onward continued to gain cohesion through the day, though still flowing loose-dry above the crust in ski turns.

Continued loading and rising freezing levels will have us choosing more-conservative terrain tomorrow.