Skies are mostly cloudy with mountain temperatures in the mid to upper 20s. The wind vanes shift indiscriminately between south-southeast and south-southwest, blowing 15-20mph with gusts to 30. 11,000' elevations have gusts to 45.
Sun, wind, and greenhousing have taken their toll on the snow surfaces in recent days, but one can still find joy in the wind and sun protected terrain.
For today, we may see a trace to an inch from a system passing to the south. Temps will be in the upper 20s down low, the low 20s up high. Winds will be westerly at 10-15mph. A stronger system passes by to the north tonight through tomorrow, but spillover may offer 4-8" in the higher terrain. Ridging builds back in for late week into the early weekend with a somewhat active pattern setting up for early next week.
Other than some minor wet loose activity associated with the afternoon greenhousing, no avalanche activity was reported from the backcountry.
However -
The third of a party of three, while traversing high along the Mill B South and Mineral Fork ridgeline, triggered and was briefly caught and carried in an estimated 12-18" deep and 100' wide soft slab avalanche. The initial avalanche in turn sympathetically triggered a similar one, estimated to be 400' wide...and perhaps another one or more along the ridgeline heading north. These avalanches are on steep west to southwest facing slopes at 10,200'.
The failure plane most likely involves a facet/crust combination formed Wednesday/Thursday during the quick window of high pressure and survived the punishing pre-frontal southwest winds. (Photo 1, 2 - Sheehan)
