Professional Observation
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
December 26, 2024Submitted:
December 27, 2024Observer:
TAC - Charlie HarrisonZone or Region:
Taos AreaLocation:
Widespread Faceting and Lurking Hard SlabsSigns of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
None ObservedCracking?
None ExperiencedCollapsing?
None ExperiencedAs the winds started to pick up mid-morning, we witnessed active wind transport over ridgelines as well as cross-loading in some of the typical West-facing gullies. With the winds picking up more tonight, fresh albeit small wind slabs are definitely on my radar for tomorrow because they'll be building on top of incredibly weak snow.
We focused our day on finding a lingering hard slab, and it was actually pretty easy in a North-Facing bowl above treeline. These hard slabs are typically hanging out in spots up high that see frequent wind-loading, and they'll be here for the long haul. See photos and discussion below for more detail.
Snow Stability
Stability Rating:
GoodConfidence in Rating:
HighStability Trend:
WorseningBottom Line
The discussion around our snowpack remains largely the same: There isn't much to worry about unless you're able to get into the steep and deep terrain in the higher alpine, and there isn't a whole lot of that available at the moment. Even then, the two issues of note are dry loose sluffs consisting almost entirely of facets, and a few stubborn hard slabs in places that see frequent wind loading.
As the wind continues to blow the Christmas fluff around into Friday, it wouldn't be surprising to see some small wind slabs form on top of the incredibly weak snow just below the surface. We'll then need to consider that wind slab avalanches could step down to deeper weak layers, but again this would only be possible in very specific places. If you're feeling like getting after it, be suspect of any slope that actually contains a slab. Make informed decisions and be conservative if you're getting any immediate signs of instability.
Media
Advanced Information
Weather Summary
Cloud Cover:
ClearTemperature:
20-25Wind:
Light , WToday was another gorgeous sunny day out there. The winds gradually ramped up and we observed active loading of yesterdays snowfall onto leeward slopes as well as cross-loading into gullies. We didn't find any more than 4 inches of new snow anywhere but it was definitely getting blown around up high.
Snowpack Observations
Profile 1: N, 11'6k
HS 147cm
ECTP 15, failure on buried NSFs 55cm down
We found a really dense slab from the November storm in this spot that managed to survive the extended drought period. It would be difficult to trigger a slope like this right now without hitting a sweet spot, but it was a great reminder that persistent slab avalanches should be on our radar. Whenever we put a significant load on top of terrain features like this, they're going to become really dangerous.
Profile 2: N, 11'6k
HS 80cm, variable
ECTN11, collapse on depth hoar, no propagation
This pit was only about 50 yards West of our first one, and proved to be radically different. It contained a thoroughly faceted snowpack that is more representative of the majority of slopes in our region. The November "slab" had seen a lot of deterioration and was much less cohesive than the version next door. No real instability to discuss here, but there definitely will be down the line!
