Professional Observation
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
February 25, 2021Submitted:
February 25, 2021Observer:
TAC - Andy BondZone or Region:
Taos AreaLocation:
Williams Lake AreaSigns of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
None ObservedCracking?
None ExperiencedCollapsing?
None ExperiencedSnow Stability
Stability Rating:
GoodConfidence in Rating:
ModerateStability Trend:
WorseningBottom Line
Faceted weak layers deeper down in the snowpack continue to linger especially in shallow snowpacks less than 2m in depth. It's becoming more and more difficult to trigger an avalanche but the consequences would be incredibly high if you did get a slope to release. The weak layers of concern are mainly near the ground and would produce an avalanche that would take with it, the entire season's snowpack.
Media
Advanced Information
Weather Summary
Cloud Cover:
Mostly CloudyTemperature:
12 - 30Wind:
Moderate , SWA mix of sun, clouds and light flurries this morning that was not amounting to any snow accumulation. A little bit of transport going on at ridgetops from the 1 to 2 inches that fell in the early morning hours.
Snowpack Observations
1 to 2 inches of low-density snow fell early this morning creating dust on crust conditions on solar aspects and pretty good skiing on northerly aspects. Warm temperatures and sun last week have created varying degrees of crusts near and below treeline.
Continue to find shallow snowpacks with lingering faceted weak layers deeper down in the snowpack. It's these shallower snowpacks (less than 2 meters) that facets have been slow to heal. Stability tests in multiple tests was producing moderate to hard results to get these weak layers to fail and propagate.
Avalanche Problems
| Problem | Location | Distribution | Sensitivity | Size | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Persistent Slab
|
|