Pro Field Report

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
April 16, 2022
Submitted:
April 16, 2022
Observer:
SAC - Chris Lundy (off duty)
Zone or Region:
Banner Summit
Location:
Copper Mtn (6900-8300', NW-W-SW)

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
None Observed
Cracking? 
None Experienced
Collapsing? 
None Experienced
Visibility was terrible

Snow Stability

Stability Rating: 
Fair
Confidence in Rating: 
Low
Stability Trend: 
Worsening

Bottom Line

Short rec tour with limited observations.

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Obscured
Wind:
Moderate , S
New/Recent Snowfall:
10cm from this morning til 2pm

We were in the field from 10am to 2pm. S1-2 the whole time, 10cm HN24 by 2pm. Wind was moderate to strong even in open mid elevation terrain - I'm sure it was nuking at ridge level. Temps were cooler than expected, at least while we were out. New snow was not denser than the snow it was falling on.

Snowpack Observations

I expected today's snow to be warmer, denser, and to make the surface inverted. That was not the case, at least early in the day while we were out. There was no density inversion from the new snow, and shady/sheltered terrain was even better skiing than yesterday. Solars either had a thin crust or a denser surface layer from yesterday's diffuse sun.

On the shady slopes we traveled, the 4/10 soft crust/facet/hard crust layer could be felt with a pole but we didn't observe any signs of instability. Solar aspects just had the new snow atop a single hard crust.

There were very small but sensitive drifts in mid-elevation terrain. These released easily with ski cuts. I think the wind loading at ridge level was likely significant and I think the steep north shots off the top of Copper would have been terrifying.

Terrain Use

We stuck to sheltered terrain less than 35 degrees.