Quick report
- Collapsing
- isolated
Storm snow was feeling generally right side up and cohesionless in sheltered areas. Areas with wind or solar affect were more cohesive, but still required very steep (45 deg) angle and unsupported features to see any slab releases on small test slopes. We travelled through terrain up to 35 degrees with supported & planar slopes. No avalanche activity observed. Observed whumphing in areas with thin surface crust after 12/8 storm (SE aspects near 4,500'). Crust is immediately below ~50cm HST. 4-5 significant whumphs/rumbling collapses noted on SE aspects ~4,500', observed by two different groups in the same general area. A thin surface crust was observed in this area immediately before the current storm cycle and one group observed a sudden planar failure on hard taps down 50cm, presumably at this crust beneath the recent storm snow. Probing through the area also revealed that the thin crust was 50cm below the surface, and there is a 10-15cm thick layer of variable but weaker snow below, all sitting on top of the 12/7 interface (now down ~75-80cm).
Snowpack
Storm snow generally is loose and cohesionless on the surface (F hard) and increases in hardness to 4F+ above the 12/7 interface. Right side up and settling well. Several resistant failures noted in wind deposited areas above 4,500' in upper 80cm of recent HST above 12/7, no signs of instability. Solar aspects have variable crusts between the 12/8 and current storm snow. No observations below 12/7. HS ~150-200cm at Snow Lake Divide