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Snowpack Summary January 29, 2022
Posted by Allen Giernet @ 8:30am (this summary expires in 48 hours)
This summary applies to backcountry areas only.
The Bottom Line –
General caution is advised keeping in mind variable surface conditions will keep travel interesting. Bring tools to be prepared to prevent long slides in the case of slip and falls in steep terrain. Chance of light snow showers this afternoon could make for dust on crust in most areas. Keep loose wet in the back of your mind, though unlikely if you find yourself sinking into soft snow change aspects.
If you venture out please submit your observations to the avalanche center Submit Reports page.
Posted by Allen Giernet @ 8:30am (this summary expires in 48 hours)
This summary applies to backcountry areas only.
The Bottom Line –
General caution is advised keeping in mind variable surface conditions will keep travel interesting. Bring tools to be prepared to prevent long slides in the case of slip and falls in steep terrain. Chance of light snow showers this afternoon could make for dust on crust in most areas. Keep loose wet in the back of your mind, though unlikely if you find yourself sinking into soft snow change aspects.
If you venture out please submit your observations to the avalanche center Submit Reports page.
Problem #1
Firm and Icy Surfaces firm and icy surfaces can cause long slide for life scenarios. Travel can be difficult to vary dangerous. Self arrest may be difficult to impossible. Micro spikes are not recommended for these conditions. Ice Axe and Crampons with proper training and skill are necessary tools for travel in these conditions. A slip and fall on these surfaces in steep terrain can lead to a long slide with tragic results.
General Summary Our freeze thaw cycle continues with high pressure maintaining warm afternoon temperatures. Firm and icy surfaces will be possible on all aspects especially Southerly aspects still holding snow and heavily traveled areas. Have the proper tools ( ice axe and crampons) to prevent a long slide in steep terrain or choose a different route. There is a chance of light snow showers this afternoon with cloudy skies through most of the day. You may find dust on crust developing on slick surfaces as the day progresses. With colder temps and a chance of snow the chance of Loose Wet avalanches will be low but as the temps climb and if the sun peaks out they may be possible. Keep this in mind if you begin to sink into soft snow several inches. Variable surface conditions will be the biggest concern today as you change aspect, elevation and slope angle be aware of changing conditions and minimize your exposure to hazards below you (rocks, trees, thin snow coverage and steep drop offs) in case of a slip and fall on fast firm surfaces.
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General Mountain Weather Forecast |
1-29-22 Saturday Warner overnight but still below freezing. Strong Southeast winds will taper off this morning to moderate Northeast but this evening. Skies will be mostly to partially cloudy till this evening with a slight chance of light snow showers this afternoon into evening. Snow level will be around 4,500' with only a dusting if any expected.
Sunday will be clearer and warmer with light to moderate winds.
Monday will be another warm day with mostly clear skies becoming cloudier in the evening and light winds.
The Freeze thaw cycle will continue through the week with only minor changes each day. There will be a slight chance of snow showers mid week and another round of gusty winds for Wednesday through Thursday. Back to warm dry conditions by Friday.
Exercise caution on slopes over 30° as these conditions will exist throughout all mountain ranges. Always exercise caution when entering into winter mountain areas. Bring a Beacon Shovel and Probe and know how to use them. Travel with a partner and make conservative decisions.
Sunday will be clearer and warmer with light to moderate winds.
Monday will be another warm day with mostly clear skies becoming cloudier in the evening and light winds.
The Freeze thaw cycle will continue through the week with only minor changes each day. There will be a slight chance of snow showers mid week and another round of gusty winds for Wednesday through Thursday. Back to warm dry conditions by Friday.
Exercise caution on slopes over 30° as these conditions will exist throughout all mountain ranges. Always exercise caution when entering into winter mountain areas. Bring a Beacon Shovel and Probe and know how to use them. Travel with a partner and make conservative decisions.
Click here for this Season's Snow Pack Summaries
To better understand the challenges and potential variability over the large area we are producing information for please read our Snowpack Summary - Format and Limitations
Disclaimer:
This Bulletin is designed to generally describe conditions where local variations always occur. Travelers are advised to exercise caution and make slope specific evaluations. As always, please treat this bulletin with appropriately guarded skepticism and make your own assessments. Help to provide more information to the community by reporting your observations
This Bulletin is designed to generally describe conditions where local variations always occur. Travelers are advised to exercise caution and make slope specific evaluations. As always, please treat this bulletin with appropriately guarded skepticism and make your own assessments. Help to provide more information to the community by reporting your observations
Click on the links below for the latest information
Latest Observtions
Click on the observation to go to the full report
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Observation type
Snowpack Location - Mt. Pinos Summit area Date (yyyymmdd) - 20220125 Comment - If you like variety, head for Mt. Pinos: corn, powder, crud, windpack, suncups, crust. Snow depth on the summit ridge holding at one to two feet. Get much lower on anything but the north aspect and it diminishes rapidly. I toured to the summit and decided to try the southwest slope--best run of the day, about 300 yards of easy-turning corn. The run by the microwave tower was irregular, crusted and fairly unskiable. |
Observation type
Snowpack Location - Ice House Cyn. & Big Horn Peak Date (yyyymmdd) - 20220123 Comment Trail alternates frequently between slippery ice patches and bare trail starting about half way to the saddle. Traction devices are required about 3/4 up. Lots of debris fields at the bottom of the canyon from avalanches, but these are old and are primarily on the south-facing slopes, where there is no longer enough snow mass to trigger a slide. Some fractures caused by skiers on north slopes. 2-3 feet of well-consolidated snow between the saddle and Bighorn Peak. 6" of penetration in most areas with sparse patches of hard ice in the more exposed and sun-facing slopes. No evidence of avalanches above the saddle. I did not hike Timber, but my visual observations and reports from other hikers indicates that the trail switches frequently between compacted snow, hard ice, and bare trail. |
Observation type
Snowpack Location - Mt Hawkins Date (yyyymmdd) - 20220123 Comment - We skied the N facing trees on the shoulder of Mt. Hawkins. On our skin from Islip Saddle, it was apparent that there was a widespread natural avalanche cycle during the last storm - numerous crowns were visible crowns on road cuts and on convexities higher up. Our initial thought was to ski a solar aspect to take advantage of softening snow, but any warming effects of the sun and air temp seemed to be nullified by the wind, and the E facing terrain remained quite firm. We decided to ski the N facing trees, as we thought the crust would be less robust (more for safety than ski quality) and thought we could potentially even find some NSF (none to be found, as expected). The skiing was still quite firm, and we managed risk by sticking to A few thoughts on the day: - Boot/ski crampons + axe were a necessity for safe travel. - There were a number of old bed surfaces that were easy to miss and were incredibly slick. Keep an eye out for crowns/old debris piles and if you're going to ski a bed surface, do it super carefully! - Would not recommend skiing in the San Gabriel's right now unless you are highly confident in skiing super firm conditions where a fall at speed could carry some pretty serious consequences. - Beautiful day out in the mountains! |
Observation type -
Snowpack Location - Ontario Ridge/ Ice House Cyn. Date (yyyymmdd) - 20220121 Comment - Extreme winds kept snow very firm above Icehouse Saddle. Winds on the ridge were sustained at 50mph to 70mph, with 100mph gusts. Some cornices on the ridge from the usual prevailing westerlies. Snow was about 3 to 4' above 8000'. Very icy/slide for life after 3pm. As previously mentioned in other reports, there are uncountable amounts of wet slides in Icehouse Canyon and pinwheels frozen in place from previous days. There are some sections of avalanche debris blocking the trail near the saddle. Avalanche paths on both south and north facing slopes. |
General Caution
You should always use safe terrain management and carry avalanche rescue equipment in the backcountry. Most avalanches are triggered by someone in the party or the victim. Practice with your rescue gear often and be prepared should the worst happen. Though we do not have an avalanche forecast center in this area as of yet, the information posted and shared here as well as the resources available on this site will help to make informed decisions for your backcountry travels. Use avalanche forecasts in your travels wherever available and be aware that avalanche ratings are general information. Elevation, location, geographic variability’s, slope aspect and angle all have effects on the particular area you travel in. This is only one piece of the information you should use in your decision making process. There is no substitute for avalanche education, for more resources and information as well as education please refer to our resources page.
You should always use safe terrain management and carry avalanche rescue equipment in the backcountry. Most avalanches are triggered by someone in the party or the victim. Practice with your rescue gear often and be prepared should the worst happen. Though we do not have an avalanche forecast center in this area as of yet, the information posted and shared here as well as the resources available on this site will help to make informed decisions for your backcountry travels. Use avalanche forecasts in your travels wherever available and be aware that avalanche ratings are general information. Elevation, location, geographic variability’s, slope aspect and angle all have effects on the particular area you travel in. This is only one piece of the information you should use in your decision making process. There is no substitute for avalanche education, for more resources and information as well as education please refer to our resources page.
