Point 6

I found sensitive fresh wind slabs at upper elevations today. They were small and limited to near and just below ridgelines, but still easily large enough to have consequences. They were 6-18" deep, which was impressive considering there was only 2-3" of new snow. Wind speeds were very effective for snow transport and building wind slabs. 

The persistent slab problem continues to linger, but the weak snow near the mid-December crust was stronger where I dug today than in other places I've dug recently. 

It was raining up to around 6000 ft today, and snow surfaces at middle and lower elevations got wet. I observed small wet loose point releases on steep low elevation road cuts. 

I dug a snowpit on an east-southeast aspect at 7400 ft. There was 2" of new snow resting on a crust. There were two more crusts buried below. One was thin and had some facets surrounding it. The other was the thicker mid-December crust, which had less weak snow around it than in other locations I've dug recently.  An extended column test did not produce any significant results.