Quick report
Observed medium density new snow depths (since late in the day 3/17) between 10 and 90 cm deep depending on wind effect. The deeper ( lower elevation) new snow formed a very soft slab (felt loose and unconsolidated while riding and breaking trail) that failed about 10 cm above yesterday's snow surface without a distinct failure plane. The upper shallower snow formed a soft slab that failed at yesterday's snow surface. Neither showed any sign of wanting to propagate. We stopped climbing at 9.8k ft when the slab became stiff enough to compromise riding quality and the snow was shallow enough to make hidden rock strikes a threat. Red flags observed were recent snow and wind. The snow was loose and unconsolidated enough to preclude the threat of a slab event but capable of a significant sluff on a steep enough slope which we did not test.
Weather
- Air Temp
- estimated 24 deg
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- light
- Recent Snowfall
- 35
- Snow Avail For Transport
- large amounts
Light snow and heavy overcast diminishing to broken with very slight solar heating around 5 pm, likely not enough to crust at upper elevation and perhaps enough to create a thin zipper crust near the TH