Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 01/12/2020
Name: Eric Murrow and Zach Kinler
Subject: Paradise Divide
Aspect: South East, South, South West
Elevation: 10,800′-12,600′
Avalanches: No new avalanches observed
Weather: Coldest I’ve felt all year, temps in single digits. Broken to overcast skies, moderate westerly winds with stronger gusts, S-1 started around 15:00.
Snowpack: Generally 5″ of settled snow from our incremental event starting late on 1/8 in near treeline terrain. This new snow sits on a variety of old surfaces from stiff windboard to crusts in steeper open terrain on this sunny side of the compass. Crusts at 1/8 interface on SE are thin and resting on very weak faceted snow. Winds were moving snow onto leeward and cross-loaded features with drifts up to a foot observed on certain E-SE slopes. Fresh cornice formation on many ridgelines and cross-loaded ribs. Cracks in drifted snow up to 10 or so feet on small drifted easterly features. These slabs will continue to build as we add more snow and lots of wind tomorrow.
Photos
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- Snow transport above treeline onto easterly facing terrain
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- Wind drifting onto ESE alpine bowl on Baldy
