CAIC Observation Report

Snowpack

Ann Mellick ยท Nov 14, 2011

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Weather

Partly cloudy, winds increasing in the afternoon WNW/20-30 G/40 in the alpine zone.

Snowpack

Winds from this weekend's storm stripped southerly ridgelines. More stripping and loading happening now with today's strong winds. Wind has smoothed out the evidence of the last avalanche cycle and left some hard slabs in the alpine zone. North and easterly aspects the most loaded and suspect. HN varied from 2"-6" with drifts up to 12" deep. New snow is an interesting mix of dense, highly abraded grains and graupel. Upper snowpack is generally supportive, with very weak basal snow. Classic spooky early season snowpack out there. Thin and weak.