Weather
- Cloud Cover
- obscured
- Wind Loading
- moderate
- Rain Elevation
- 3500
- Recent Snowfall
- 10
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
In the AM: Low clouds and obscured skies, light S-1 snow, moderate west gusts at ridges. Temps near freezing at 3k trailhead. In the PM: Clouds lifted above ridges and thinned for the slightly filtered sun. Partial clearing on the east and west borders of the zone.
Snowpack
Upper snowpack: HN24: 7-10cm, increasing with elevation. Below 4,500ft there was a thin crust at the 2/19 interface. Layers in the top 50cm got progressively harder below the surface and were generally well-bonded. The snow was dry above 3,400ft in the morning and above 3,700ft in the afternoon. On a ridge at 5,400-5,500ft, there was needle-like surface hoar and similar riming on trees that formed overnight.
Snowpack and profiles: I targeted three locations. At 3,805ft, just above Lanham Creek: HS 175cm, HST 7cm, JDL down 50cm. A quick profile in a meadow up-valley of Lanham Lake 4,150ft: HS 190cm, HN24 9cm over a thin 4F+ crust, JDL down 70cm, Solstice crust down 110cm.
5,400ft, E, sheltered 75ft below a ridge: HS 225cm, HN24 10cm, HST 31cm. Boot Pen 50cm. The hardness profile was favorable (progressively harder) aside from the JDL. I found very easy clean tilt tests 31cm below the surface on the 2/15 interface (0.5mm near-surface facets). This interface wasn't problematic in other tests (ECTN15, CTN). The January Drought Layer was 73-81cm below the surface. Hardness was 1F+ above 73cm and 4F below. The JDL grains were significantly rounded facets (1.5mm). Snowpack tests indicated stability: ECTX, DTX, CTX. Going beyond the normal CT, I was able to get a break (non-sudden, non-planar) at 35 taps. While the JDL isn't currently problematic, it could be if wetted significantly.
Avalanche
One older natural Loose Wet (D1) from 2/18 or 19th. Bern Chutes, SSE, 4,900ft.