Wind Effect and a Base Grind

Quick report

Weather

windy, cloudy, cold

Ride Type

steepSlopes, mellowSlopes, denseTrees, openTrees

Stayed Away

alpineSlopes

Riding Quality

ok

Snow Conditions

deepPowder, windAffected, hard

Avalanche Conditions

avalancheConditionTemp

Skinned up to Needle Ridge. Significant wind effect at upper elevations. Snowpack depth is variable and many early season hazards still exist. We found anything from 30cm-170cm. We chose not to look at the underside of our skis at the end of the day. No significant instability observed.

Weather

Avg Temp

-11

Wind Speed

windSpeedModerate

Blowing Snow

moderate

Sky Condition

brokenClouds

Wind Direction

NW

Temperature Trend

steady

Precipitation Type

none

Snowpack

Obs Type

summary

Site Aspect

N, S, E

Test Fracture

unevenBreak

Test Initiation

hard

Foot Penetration

50

Test Failure Depth

130

Site Elevation Band

alp, tln, btl

Surface Conditions

variable

Test Failure Layer Crystal Types

surfaceHoar

ECTN 23 on SH down 50cm -Surface hoar (sz1-3) sitting above a MFcr around 50cm down @TL. -Another MFcr found down around 70-90cm @TL -Top pack is wind effected at upper elevations -Unconsolidated snow in sheltered areas -Small avalanches observed on wind loaded steep convexities on southern aspects