Quick report
• No avalanche activity observed in the terrain I travelled through nor in distant terrain I could view. • Overnight snowfall was about 6” on the Canyon floor and 8” at 6400’. • Total snowfall since Dec. 26th is about 15” on the Canyon floor and 18” above 6000’. • Winds were and had been calm and there was no recent wind loading. • No shooting cracks or audible collapses. • Overall, the new snow lacks in cohesion and has not formed a threatening slab yet. Observed some very minor sluffing on steep (40°+) terrain. • Dug a snow pit in the Shed 11 path at 6400’ elevation on a SE aspect, 30° slope. Snow depth was 45”. Found a right-side up snowpack - generally denser layering with depth. o Did not find a reactive layer of facets on top of the early-Dec. crust like we did in Shed 7 West on Dec. 27th. See details in pit profile. No signs of instability
Weather
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- none
- Recent Snowfall
- 15-20
- Snow Avail For Transport
- large amounts
• Overcast skies, calm or occasional light westerly winds above 6000’ and light easterly winds below that elevation. • Snowfall was intermittent with 20–30-minute bursts of S2-S5 rates alternating with longer, 1–2-hour periods of S-1 snowfall or no precipitation at all. • Total accumulation over the day was another 3-4”. • Daytime high air temperatures reached the high-20s °F on the Canyon floor and the low-20s °F at 6400’.