Professional Observation
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
December 10, 2022Submitted:
December 10, 2022Observer:
Everett Phillips | ESAC ForecasterZone or Region:
Mammoth LakesLocation:
Sherwins - Pre-StormSigns of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
None ObservedCracking?
None ExperiencedCollapsing?
None ExperiencedKey Points
Tour in the Serwins to look at sensitivity and distribution of the P. Slab problem.
- Much less snow here than at Mammoth Mountain and in the Lakes Basin – HS ~ 60 to 90cm
- Stability tests across three pits indicated a decreasing trend in P. Slab hazard NTL and BTL in line with decreasing evidence of unstable snow over the past week
- Snowpack structure is still poor. Slab over F hard facets less than a meter below the snow surface.
- Wind slabs from past 24-48 hrs reacted to ski testing on small rollover in N facing NTL terrain. Sz Small.
It all adds up to waiting for the storm to roll in, and seeing how the weak snowpack reacts to another round of loading.
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