East Slopes Central

You'll encounter challenging travel conditions across the East Central on Wednesday. Be ready for breakable crusts, wet sloppy snow, or firm surfaces on exposed slopes. At the highest elevations, look for signs of instability, especially in wind drifted terrain. 

On Saturday evening, an impressive storm brought 8-20 inches of snow across the East Central. Most of the precipitation fell as snow, but unfortunately, the storm ended warm with rain. Since then, observers across the region have been reporting a breakable crust extending to upper elevations. The rain line may be slightly lower the further north and east you go in the zone. 

We are uncertain about the current rain/snow line across the East Central, but it's likely somewhere around 6000 ft. The bigger question is how the new snow is bonding to the old snow surface above these elevations. 

Once you start noticing dry snow at upper elevations, the best policy will be to ease into the terrain slowly and have an assessment mindset as you move through the terrain. Look to see how the new snow is bonding to the old snow surface. You can use hand pits or snowpack tests to gauge how reactive the slab is. Also, watch for blowing snow or signs of recent drifting. Textures like dunes, ripples, and pillow-like slabs may help you identify potentially problematic slopes. 

At lower elevations, keep an eye out for shallowly buried objects under your feet or sled. Don't let an early season injury be the end of your season. 

Observations have been sparse since the recent storm, so if you get out let us know what you see by submitting a public observation.