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Snowpack Summary February 10, 2022
Posted by Allen Giernet @ 9:03pm (this summary expires in 24 hours)
This summary applies to backcountry areas only.
The Bottom Line –
Spring like conditions with increasingly warm temperatures and sunshine should keep Wet Avalanches on your mind. Watch for snow becoming wet and sticky in sunny areas and be mindful of your return route. Watch for firm surface conditions as you travel and be prepared with proper equipment to manage steep firm slopes. surface conditions will be variable and could run the gamut.
If you venture out please submit your observations to the avalanche center Submit Reports page.
Posted by Allen Giernet @ 9:03pm (this summary expires in 24 hours)
This summary applies to backcountry areas only.
The Bottom Line –
Spring like conditions with increasingly warm temperatures and sunshine should keep Wet Avalanches on your mind. Watch for snow becoming wet and sticky in sunny areas and be mindful of your return route. Watch for firm surface conditions as you travel and be prepared with proper equipment to manage steep firm slopes. surface conditions will be variable and could run the gamut.
If you venture out please submit your observations to the avalanche center Submit Reports page.
Problem #1
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.
General Summary
The past several days have been increasingly warmer and wet snow instability is possible. Well above freezing overnight temperatures for Friday morning and the warmest day time highs make for a good chance to have wet snow avalanches. Watch for snow becoming sticky and sinking into to your ankles in sunny locations. Move to slopes with less solar input or lower angle and be mindful of your return route. We are still in winter so the strong Northeast winds and low sun angle will help to minimize this concern on Northern aspects. As winds subside and temperatures rise the possibility will increase. Variable surface conditions will be possible and fast firm conditions will remain a concern in sheltered areas. Be prepared with proper equipment and mindful of changes as you travel through different elevations and aspects.
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.
The past several days have been increasingly warmer and wet snow instability is possible. Well above freezing overnight temperatures for Friday morning and the warmest day time highs make for a good chance to have wet snow avalanches. Watch for snow becoming sticky and sinking into to your ankles in sunny locations. Move to slopes with less solar input or lower angle and be mindful of your return route. We are still in winter so the strong Northeast winds and low sun angle will help to minimize this concern on Northern aspects. As winds subside and temperatures rise the possibility will increase. Variable surface conditions will be possible and fast firm conditions will remain a concern in sheltered areas. Be prepared with proper equipment and mindful of changes as you travel through different elevations and aspects.
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.
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General Mountain Weather Forecast |
2-10-22
Thursday - Temperatures continue to climb with a warmer day today. Overnight lows dipped to near or below freezing last night. Skies will be clear and Northeast winds will be strong to gusty with gusts to 60mph possible.
Winds will diminish this evening. There is a High Wind Warning in effect until 4:00pm today.
Friday - Will be even hotter then today with clear skies and moderate winds that will not be as strong as the past 24 hours.
Saturday - Will continue with warm temperatures very similar to Friday under clear skies and moderate winds.
Warm temperatures will continue through the weekend with sunny skies and moderate winds. Monday will begin cooling with some clouds building through the day. Much cooler into Tuesday and Wednesday with a slight chance of snow for early Tuesday. Forecast call fo only a dusting if any.
Thursday - Temperatures continue to climb with a warmer day today. Overnight lows dipped to near or below freezing last night. Skies will be clear and Northeast winds will be strong to gusty with gusts to 60mph possible.
Winds will diminish this evening. There is a High Wind Warning in effect until 4:00pm today.
Friday - Will be even hotter then today with clear skies and moderate winds that will not be as strong as the past 24 hours.
Saturday - Will continue with warm temperatures very similar to Friday under clear skies and moderate winds.
Warm temperatures will continue through the weekend with sunny skies and moderate winds. Monday will begin cooling with some clouds building through the day. Much cooler into Tuesday and Wednesday with a slight chance of snow for early Tuesday. Forecast call fo only a dusting if any.
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) - 20220206 Comment - Mt. Pinos was a gruelling lesson in snow development for this unusual winter. Despite 50-degree temps and sunshine, it was mostly rough, frozen crust, including a variation of suncups sliced into long, disagreeable shards by the slanting sun. That's what greeted us on the southwest apron of the mountain which had afforded pleasurable corn skiing two weeks ago. I figure the snowpack hasn't compacted enough to keep surface corn. We found interesting, if challenging, skiing on the northwest apron, and, surprisingly, in the steep forest dropping off to the north by the microwave tower. Tight turns in steep, narrow channels between trees are typical of Pinos, and the snow, though crusty, was even and turnable. "Backcountry skiers have more words for 'snow' than the Inuit, but they're all swear words." |
Observation type
Snowpack - Field Obs Location - Kratka Ridge area Date (yyyymmdd) - 20220206 Comment 1:30 pm Winds were moderate to gusty. At the road there was icy slick surfaces right by the car. The hike up the hill was slick and firm. Boot packed area was water ice and some of the trail was melted out to ground. Huge sun caps at the base were mostly firm with some softening even though they were in direct sun. There was a firm crust for most of the skin uphill occasionally on aspects east of North slight surface softening was noted. Surface melt freeze crust varied from 2.5cm to 6cm was mostly supportable on skis but breakable on foot. Just below crust was 25 cm of sugary rounding facets. There were several melt freeze crusts in the profile with a 12cm block of ice at the bottom. Due to the winds surface temp was kept below freezing even in the sun at this low elevation. There was little to no surface softening noted on the descent. Snow was edgeable in areas but firm and icy on most of the descent and exiting into firm sun cups and trampled snow made for some tooth rattling riding at the bottom. Winds increased during the afternoon and by 3:00pm temperatures felt much colder. At 3:40 and 6,788’ AT was 7.4c. Wind chill was keeping snow below freezing. Surface temp was -0.2°C. There was no sign of moisture in snow even at these lower elevations at this time. In this area we did not observe any signs of instability or wet slides, recent or from the past several days. |
Observation type
Snowpack Location - Mt Pinos Summit area Date (yyyymmdd) - 20220201 Comment - The good news is that the snow cover hasn't diminished on Mt. Pinos, but the bad news on Tuesday was a lenticular cloud parked over the summit ridge all day, which kept things crusty everywhere--none of the nice corn and skiable crud of the week before. I tried to find a feature called The Elevator Shaft, a short chute in the forest to the north of the main summit trail. I skied it once several years ago and I hoped for some residual powder, but I couldn't find either The Shaft or any residual powder. Best hope on Pinos is for corn. Sunny days ahead should provide that. Temps ranged from 30 to 50 over a long day tour. Coverage was skiable down to the Pinos-Sawmill saddle, if you like obstacles, which I always find interesting. |
Observation type -
Snowpack Location - San G Upper North Chutes Date (yyyymmdd) - 20220130 Comment - North Chutes up San Gorgonio were fairly consolidated. There was 1 to 2" of new snow above 8500' from the surprise upper level snow storm, 1/29/22. On the upper slopes (above 11,200'), the north wind blew the new snow away already. Final 300 to 400' of the chutes are icy, down to the base layer from the week-long North wind event. Some crowns/ broken cornices/Slab breaks along the entire upper northface of San G. Climbable and skiable with caution on the upper slopes of the north chutes. |
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.
