Quick report
• Snowpack remains quite thin below 5500’ elevation. Snowfall from the past five days totaled about 6-8” with 0.40-0.50” water equivalent. • Above 5500’, snow depths increase substantially with about 10-18” of soft powder snow resting on top of the truly remarkable Feb. 3rd crust which is over a foot thick in places. • On sunny aspects there is a thin sun crust from Feb. 6th which is now buried about 10-16” down from the surface. • There is a layer of facets located between the Feb. 3rd and Feb. 6th crusts that we’ll need to watch as the snowpack continues to develop. • No signs of instability observed. • Winds were light from the east to NE today with minimal wind loading. • Dug a snow pit in the Shed 7 West path at 6650’, SE aspect, 30° slope. Snow depth here was 51”. A layer of facets exists between the Feb. 3rd and Feb. 6th crusts (pit profile). A steep temperature gradient was present in the upper half of the snowpack. Extended Column Test yielded ECTN 21 just under the Feb 6th crust and then CT 10 Q2 just above it. • No avalanche activity observed.
Weather
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- light
- Snow Avail For Transport
- large amounts
• Overcast skies and intermittent very light snowfall all day. Total daytime accumulations were about 1” on the Canyon floor and 2-3” above 6000’. • The well-advertised Arctic airmass pushed over first thing this morning. By sunset temperatures had only dropped into the low-teens °F above 6000’ elevation and the low-20s °F on the Canyon floor.