Mammoth Area - Developing Instabilities

I travelled on west, north, east, and southeast aspects near and below treeline to look at the sensitivity and distribution of wind slabs and loose new snow.

• I triggered a few small sluffs in wind-protected areas, one wind slab on a northwest slope near treeline, and got some shooting cracks where the new snow sits on weak facets.
• The new snow sits directly on large sugary grains on northerly aspects. Otherwise, I found it resting - not doing much - on a melt-freeze crust.
• There was a break in the weather midday, though I saw increasing snowfall and increasing winds as I left in the early afternoon.

I intentionally triggered some small sluffs and 1 soft wind slab. I got shooting cracks on northerly aspects near treeline where the wind had stiffened the new snow directly atop facets underneath.

I measured around 7 inches (17 cm) of new snow through midday. The new snow was soft, even where it had been kissed by southwest winds. I found the new and drifted snow resting on the following interfaces near and below treeline:

• West, East, Southeast, near treeline, and spotty areas on north aspects below treeline the new snow sits on melt-freeze crusts. Slabs were not sensitive to my stomping in these areas, though I triggered some loose dry avalanches. ECTN4 on southeast under drifted new snow on a melt-freeze crust was the most instability I found.
• On Northwest, North, and Northeast aspects near and below treeline the new and drifted snow sits directly on 2 mm facets. In this terrain I was able to trigger a small wind slab avalanche, and got short shooting cracks.