Quick report
No instability observed.
Weather
- Cloud Cover
- few
- Wind Loading
- light
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Clear, great visbility, cold (teens F) and summit winds just shifted from north to north west at 45-55 mph.
Snowpack
Following a period of light to moderate northerly winds on Mt. Washington, a noticeable increase in wind speed was observed yesterday, leading to the transport of snow across exposed surfaces. Interestingly, the formation of wind slabs from transported snow has been predominantly confined to isolated areas of significant accumulation, with the most substantial accumulations observed lower down in avalanche paths.
In Tuckerman Ravine, an enlargement of the fan-shaped snow 'aprons' accumulating at lower elevations on steep inclines was noted. Today in Hillman's Highway, light snow transport on Boott Spur Ridge was observed, along with spin-drifting snow tumbling down the slope and collecting at changes in slope angle. The snowpack presents a heterogeneous patchwork, characterized by areas of firm, icy old snow interspersed with deposits of small rounded saltated snow particles accumulating in sheltered areas behind treelines and rock buttresses. These vertically uniform drifts of saltated snow, up to 8 inches deep, are densely packed yet exhibit very little cohesion. Boot penetration was generally shallow, but the snow could easily sift through one's fingers, similar to a handful of salt. No reactivity was found in the drifted snow. Despite a propensity for minor sluffing from the underlying icy bed surface, the snow drifts exhibited good overall stability with no noted structure.
The presence of these unconsolidated slabs deserves watching as they possess the potential to act as a weak layer under new snow loads. Warmer temperatures and time may aid in promoting bonding with the underlying snow.