6-8" of new snow fell in this zone over the last 2 days. Watch out for any newly wind loaded slopes and cross-loaded gullies where surface wind slabs may be lurking. Look for signs of wind loading including fatter pockets of snow, stiff snow that sounds hollow and shooting cracks. Be especially careful to avoid terrain traps with large amounts of snow above them.
Above treeline, recent south winds, and then north winds, hit the slopes with plenty of snow available for transport. Expect recent wind slabs on loaded slopes, especially in gullies and start zones. Be observant of terrain features and their characteristics. You may be drawn into windloaded slopes in search of deeper snow, but carefully evaluate slopes steeper than 30 degrees.
There's ample snow available for transport, and the winds have been sculpting and switching the last few days. The snow surface is wind affected and moderately well bonded. Snow totals in the alpine Friday-Saturday were 10" in the Lutak zone, about 8" Transitional Zone, and near 6" at the Pass.
Observations from both Lutak and the Pass found brittle slabs in the mid to lower snowpack without much propagation potential. There are facets near the ground in the Pass, but we are not seeing activity on this layer yet. We have seen isolated pockets of buried surface hoar buried Dec. 3rd, including on the north slopes of Three Guardsmen that bears watching as new storms come in.
We still have a thin early season snowpack with exposed rocks, branches and logs. The alders at tree line are not laid down yet. You don't want to ruin your season with an injury. Let's be patient out there and take it one week at a time.
Help us make sense of what's going out there by reading and submitting observations.
