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Snowpack Summary March 19, 2022
Posted by Allen Giernet @ 7:16am (this summary expires in 24 hours)
This summary applies to backcountry areas only.
The Bottom Line –
Normal avalanche caution today. Variable conditions exit with wind effected sastrugi to icy firm boiler plate and pockets of soft snow. Firm and fast conditions in steep terrain will be the biggest challenge. Bring proper equipment and skills to manage this hazard and prevent a slide for life situation or keep to lower angle slopes with clean run outs below.
Please share your observations with us at the avalanche center Submit Reports page.
Posted by Allen Giernet @ 7:16am (this summary expires in 24 hours)
This summary applies to backcountry areas only.
The Bottom Line –
Normal avalanche caution today. Variable conditions exit with wind effected sastrugi to icy firm boiler plate and pockets of soft snow. Firm and fast conditions in steep terrain will be the biggest challenge. Bring proper equipment and skills to manage this hazard and prevent a slide for life situation or keep to lower angle slopes with clean run outs below.
Please share your observations with us at the avalanche center Submit Reports page.
General Summary
Warm weather for the past several days with periods of strong winds and a cold storm system setting in will give us the complete mixed bag of conditions. Be prepared for icy firm surfaces amongst wind buffed sastrugi and areas of soft snow. Steep terrain will be very challenging and require the proper tools and skills to use them. Prevent yourself from getting into a slide for life situation especially with hazards below that could significantly increase the consequences. Receding snow and low tide early season conditions will also add to the difficulties out there. Exercise caution in steep terrain or stick to lower angle areas with no hazards below to reduce your exposure and risk.
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.
Warm weather for the past several days with periods of strong winds and a cold storm system setting in will give us the complete mixed bag of conditions. Be prepared for icy firm surfaces amongst wind buffed sastrugi and areas of soft snow. Steep terrain will be very challenging and require the proper tools and skills to use them. Prevent yourself from getting into a slide for life situation especially with hazards below that could significantly increase the consequences. Receding snow and low tide early season conditions will also add to the difficulties out there. Exercise caution in steep terrain or stick to lower angle areas with no hazards below to reduce your exposure and risk.
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 |
3-19-22
Saturday - After slightly warmer overnight temps today will be cooler with partially cloudy skies becoming mostly cloudy to overcast. There will be a chance of snow showers developing by this evening becoming likely snow overnight. There is only trace amounts of snowfall forecast. Winds will begin moderate and increase to gusty through the day. There is a Wind Warning in effect from 11:00am this morning until 5:00am Sunday morning.
Sunday - Will be colder overnight with colder temps for the day. A slight chance of snow showers will linger through the early morning with gusty winds. The system will clear out through the day as winds settle down and skies becoming clearer.
Cooler through the weekend with a slight chance of snow showers. Next week a warming trend sets in with much warmer temperatures.
Saturday - After slightly warmer overnight temps today will be cooler with partially cloudy skies becoming mostly cloudy to overcast. There will be a chance of snow showers developing by this evening becoming likely snow overnight. There is only trace amounts of snowfall forecast. Winds will begin moderate and increase to gusty through the day. There is a Wind Warning in effect from 11:00am this morning until 5:00am Sunday morning.
Sunday - Will be colder overnight with colder temps for the day. A slight chance of snow showers will linger through the early morning with gusty winds. The system will clear out through the day as winds settle down and skies becoming clearer.
Cooler through the weekend with a slight chance of snow showers. Next week a warming trend sets in with much warmer temperatures.
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 - San G North Chutes Date (yyyymmdd) - 20220316 Comment - Climbed the westerly of the San Gorgonio North Chutes and skied down. Conditions were fast and firm with icy patches and isolated small pockets of soft wind blown snow. Recent wind has scoured the face and made for treacherous conditions on steep slopes. Sastrugi and wind affected snow in most open north facing aspects. Spring like corn conditions in trees below 9,500 feet in the afternoon. Any travel above 9,500 feet should be left to expert alpine mountaineers. Slide for life conditions are present. Skiing is not recommend at higher elevations and steeper terrain. |
Observation type -
Snowpack Location - Mt. Baden Powell Date (yyyymmdd) - 20220311 Comment - Friday afternoon left the car at 1415 and made the false summit just over two hours later. Crampon boot pack most of the way with some minor postholing above 8k. Skied down ridge directly off false summit and progressed slightly westward through trees until about halfway down where we entered the first couloir west of the parking lot with lots of coverage down to the road. Top of the mountain was slightly variable but overall enjoyable skiing with areas of very nice sugary powder. The last half of the descent coming out of the trees was 40 degree slide for life conditions with just enough texture and give to hold an edge until the last few hundred feet. That was after it had been shaded, so next time will hit it earlier in the day. Conditions favored upper trees, with open slopes having areas of wind loading mixed with firm conditions. Wind loaded areas were dust on crust. Did not see any signs of potential for significant avalanches, but the hazards of sluffing dust on crust, sheets of ice, rockfall in couloir areas and fatal slides are real. Would recommend skins and crampons for the way up and to ski with an axe on the way down. There is still plenty of snow in the north gullies that should be in for weeks to come. |
Observation type
Snowpack Location - Mt Pinos Summit Date (yyyymmdd) - 20220313 Comment Mt. Pinos afforded some interesting spring skiing Sunday, with pockets of pristine northside powder up to 4 feet deep. Coverage on the summit ridge is holding at about 80 percent. Southern exposures are bare. Our tour to the summit and down the NW apron found a firming cover from the storm of a week ago, turning to beginning corn by late afternoon. We had decided to check the big north-facing drainages from the two summit meadows and were pleasantly surprised, and greatly challenged, by the Second Meadow couloir just east of the microwave tower. The snow would change abruptly from crust and windpack to very deep powder. The steeper convexities exhibited some cracking, but they all held. We skied several hundred yards down this feature and might have skied further but wanted to check the First Meadow drainage, which was similar but not enough good coverage to ski as far. A windy March day, but probably the best spring skiing possible after this strange snow season. Conditions should hold at least through next weekend. |
Observation type
Snowpack Location - North Side of Devils Backbone Date (yyyymmdd) - 20220313 Comment - Generally a light crust about 1 to 4 in thick. Deep graupel below, moving through was least thigh deep. On the return the trench left was only 4 in deep as it filled back up. Very odd and challenging. Some concerning rock fall in the chutes as well. Mostly small but several basket ball side rocks as well. |
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.
