Quick report
Happy Solstice! It was great to see so many folks out enjoying the good snow and the short but quality light we received today. I was hoping to get a quick walk in this morning to check on winds and snow transport as the storm ramps up and to also continue mapping our persistent slab problem in a new location. Up the Powder Pimple to Hatch seemed like the easiest way to get on a ridge and feel the wind and I was pleased to see no real sign of moving snow throughout my tour. The most noticeable condition today was the balmy temperatures, not that I'm complaining but if precip makes it to Hatcher Pass tomorrow with these temps, I will be.
I dug a pit around 3800 ft on an E facing slope and I was able to find propagation on a layer of facets just under a wind slab formed during our most recent wind event. No other cracking, collapsing, or avalanches were observed today which encourages me to believe that while this structure exists throughout the forecast area, the the likelihood of finding and triggering a pocket of significance to a skier or rider is low.
Stomped on some small cornices between Powder Pimple and Hatch Peak with no results. Although I wasn't really looking for instability today the only sign I found was a propagating test result in my snowpit at about 3800 ft on an easterly-facing slope. Still anticipating a bump in winds this evening to increase wind-slab hazard.Weather
- Air Temp
- 32
- Cloud Cover
- scattered
- Wind Loading
- none
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Still felt like the calm before the storm today. Warm, with light winds that picked up as I gained elevation. No signs of blowing snow by mid-day and grateful for some more good light on the darkest day of the year.
Snowpack
Surface conditions on the south-easterly aspect of Hatch were variable. In general, the snowpack was a bit thinner than the leeward aspects and the snow surface was a mix of soft drifts and scoured crust from last weekend's snow and freezing drizzle. At 3800 ft on a generally east-facing slope, I found a total height of snow of just about a meter with a few thin wind slabs and some healthy mid-pack facets. An extended column test resulted in propagation after three taps from the elbow about 30 cm down, just under a thin wind slab that likely formed during the most recent wind event.