Spicy Sugar

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

By Lisa Van Sciver

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Have you ever taken a handful of granular white sugar and tried to squeeze it together? Of course you haven’t, you would not do something so futile. High temperatures and an extreme structure change would be necessary to bond the sugar grains together. Currently in our snowpack, below two feet of new snow, there is two feet of faceted snow. Facets have a sugar-like quality - it seems no matter how hard you squeeze them together, they never form a snowball.

This weak, sugary snowpack formed during November’s high pressure. Rapid loading from recent snowfall, has made the snowpack very sensitive and reactive. Shooting cracks, widespread collapsing or whumping, and easily released cornices are all high hazard indicators, and are all-present in our backcountry.

The angular structure of faceted snow makes them susceptible to collapse under stress or increased loading. Slopes that appeared safe last year, could be extremely hazardous this year. During high avalanche hazard, every slope should be assessed, and always know what type of terrain is above and below you.

This last low-pressure cycle hit both Montana and California, rapidly loading their weak snowpack as well. Last Thursday an ice climber in Montana was killed by a wind slab, which released on 2-to-8 inches of facets. Big Sky ski resort is dealing with a very spicy snowpack, and has already had an inbounds avalanche. If traveling to other areas to ski, check out avalanche.org with links to daily snow reports across the country.

So, when you stick your pole in the snow, and nothing keeps it from hitting the ground, you know there is sugar; and as sweet as sugar is in your coffee, it is spicy in your snowpack.             

 
PERMALINK:
Spicy Sugar | Planet JH News Article: Snow Report Column

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