Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The faceted surface snow continues to produce Loose-dry avalanches in steep terrain. </p>
Starting zones that previously avalanched in early January were 2 to 2.5 feet deep and entirely faceted. The bitterly cold temperatures from earlier this week have turned the upper snowpack noticeably weaker.Boot penetration in sheltered northerly-facing slopes has increased to 14-20 inches compared to 6-10 inches last week. The loss of structure in the upper pack is creating "sandbox" feeling ski conditions where the tails of our skis sink. Southerly slopes warmed enough to soften the surface snow; supportable melt-freeze crust is present on steep south-facing slopes.
2 inches of new snow above +12 inches of loose-faceted snow on a sheltered, west-facing slope at 9200 feet.