Quick report
Today, we toured the Tunnel snow station for a wellness check. We ascended a ridge to a high point of 6700 feet.
- We found 1 to 3 inches of new/recent snow. Currently, this is the only snow available for transport for upcoming wind events.
- We skinned out onto a slope and found old, hard wind slabs under the soft new snow. This made us stop to assess the upper snowpack before committing to any steep terrain.
- We got non-propagating results with moderate force in extended column tests on a northeast aspect at 6400 feet. The interface that failed was above and below a 1-finger hard wind slab (approximately 8 and 11 inches below the snow surface).
- No signs of unstable snow (no cracking, no collapsing, no avalanche activity observed).
Overall, we found generally stable avalanche conditions and felt comfortable skiing steep terrain one at a time.
Weather
- Air Temp
- Single Digits
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- previous
- Recent Snowfall
- 4
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Cold and thankfully no wind. Very calm day. The crest of the Flathead was obscured by clouds during out tour. Cloud ceiling was around 7500 feet.
Snowpack
Snowpit at 6400 feet on a Northeast aspect:
HS 239. ECTN 12 down 21cm (above 1 finger hard wind slab). ECTN 17 down 28 cm (below 1 finger hard wind slab ontop of a freezing rain crust). Upper snowpack appears strong, but surface conditions are faceting (weakening). This won't be a problem until we receive new snow.