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Author
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Topic: 12/26/08: NO TR!!!! (Read 913 times)
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savegondor
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Posts: 384
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http://www.nwac.us/products/SABSEA
SNOWPACK ANALYSIS Recent moderate snowfall has been received in most areas during the past few days. For the most part this recent snow is quite light and fluffy, and intermittent moderate winds have generally transported this onto lee slopes where mostly 6-18 inch soft slabs and considerable avalanche danger exist. These lee slopes are predominantly northeast to southeast exposures near higher ridges and west facing slopes near the passes. Weak layers within our still relatively shallow snowpack are many and very significant, ranging from buried surface hoar layers to intermediate or advanced facets to just really weak low density snow layers. This is perhaps the weakest snowpack structure that I have observed in late December for over 20 years, and many field reports of wading or wallowing in the snow at or near the ground when one steps off the packed trail seem to corroborate this assessment. The only positive aspects of the current snowpack in terms of BC avalanche danger is the relatively lack of cohesion in the near surface snow and the still relatively shallow depth that is allowing for some vegetation and terrain anchoring of this fragile snowpack below about 4 to 5000 feet.
Overall, our delicate snowpack is primed for a rapid and dramatic increase in the danger when loaded by heavier and more normal Cascade snowfalls. Unfortunately, in order to start putting the daily impact of these persistent weak layers of facets and surface hoar behind us, we need substantial loading by heavy dense snow, high winds and/or rain. Although this kind of weather is expected to arrive beginning later Friday and continue for much of Saturday, the current magnitude of frailty that our snowpack embodies may take many such storms to build a strengthening bridge over these buried weaknesses...and even then these flimsy layers may re- emerge as problems next spring. In short, this weekend and especially Saturday may be an excellent time to risk your health away from the mountains by shoveling your walk, exchanging your gifts at the mall, or trying out some new high-tech lowland gear.
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