Turner Mountain

Traveled to the eastern part of the Purcell Mountains to help fill some gaps in data. So far this season, the IPAC staff has gathered and recieved the least amount of field observations from the Purcells.

• Overall snow coverage is trending in the right direction for winter recreation, however we definitely haven't turned the corner yet in this part of the Purcell Mountains.
• Snow depths are about 1.5 to 2 feet near the summit of Turner Mountain, but only 3-6 inches below 4500 feet. (And the 3 to 6 inches is a generous measurement down low, as it was taken from open areas. Forested areas at lower elevations are  composed of mostly forest litter with a dustings of snow sprinkled on top)
  
  

Did not observe any signs of instability today.

• Some lightly scalloped texture on the surface snow indicated that recent drifing had occured near the summit of the mountain, however cold temperatures last night and today were working to weaken and break down these drifted slabs, making the surface cohesionless again.
• Persistent Slab structure exist here like in the other forecast zones and is similar in it's general character. (i.e. an impressive series of faceted raincrusts stacked consecutively in the middle of the pack.)
• Stability tests yielded non propagating results on these buried weak layes.
• The thin snowpack here is being exposed to harsh cold temperatures which is promoting faceting throughout.
  
  *If you are out traveling in the Purcell Mountains this winter, please consider submitting an observation to let us know what your finding. Thanks.

no signs of instability observed

Turner Mountain Ski Area has not yet started operations this season, so the current snowpack here is similar to what would be seen in nearby parts of the Purcell Mountains.

• Structurally, the snowpack at Turner closely resembles what has been observed elsewhere across the region. The key difference being that the overall depth here was quite shallow compared to the other northern ranges (Selkirks and Cabinets). Susquently, the entire snowpack is presently faceting during this period of cold temperatures.
• Between 3500 and 4500 feet, I found 3 to 6 inches of snow. Most, if not all, of this snow has fallen since 12/26.
• 4500 feet to 5500 feet harbors 6 to 12 inches of total snow depth with a thin supportable crust at the bottom of the pack.
• And near the summit of the mountain (5900 feet), I found the average total snow depth to be about 2 feet. 

I dug a pit at 5800 feet on an east facing slope. Structural details attached in the SnowPilot Pit Graph.