In partnership with: 
State of the Snowpack for 12/14/2019 - 12/20/2019
Submitted by andy on Fri, 12/20/2019 - 10:24
Dates of the Week:
12/14/2019 to 12/20/2019
- Wind slabs - Avalanches reported 12/15-12/16 (human-triggered) and 12/18 (natural failing on a weak layer, facets, that allowed wide propagation). Cornice failures also reported on 12/15.
- Storm slab - No avalanches reported.
- Snow surface has become a mix of hard wind slabs, wind buff, and rain crusts exposed by wind scouring in exposed near and above treeline areas.
- In more sheltered areas, softer, looser snow (facets) exist near the surface. Aside from one isolated avalanche in a near-treeline area where a perfect combination of conditions allowed a wind slab to form on top of this layer, observations and tests have not shown problems with this layer at this time.
- Below the softer snow, lies the Dec. 12 rain crust with a well-consolidated snowpack under the crust.
- Winter storm from 12/13-12/15 with new snow and wind.
- High pressure with shifting wind directions from 12/16-12/18
- Unsettled weather with light snow on 12/18
- High pressure with warming temps 12/18-12/20
