Snowpack Summary
A highly variable snowpack surface includes surface facets, surface hoar, thin wind slabs, and scoured crust, or any combination thereof. Remember to take stock of current surface conditions, especially crusts, surface hoar, and facets. Once buried buy a cohesive slab, surface hoar or a thin layer of facets sitting on a crust almost always becomes a weak layer for avalanches, and will often persist.In sheltered areas, large surface hoar is growing on a few centimeters of faceted old storm snow sitting on the late January crust, which is likely faceted and laminated and could have surface hoar on top. The entire snowpack is likely faceting to some degree, especially where it is shallow. Basal facets and depth hoar are likely, but triggering is only a concern in thin and variable snowpack areas with large triggers. Cornices are also becoming brittle.