Quick report
A storm with impressive convergence wrung out 12-18" of very light, low-density snow overnight. The storm snow was well-bonded to the crust where I traveled. Steep sunny slopes became weak and moist, and I was able to trigger small, wet avalanches around 12p, though only on the steepest slopes. Significant drifting and wind texturing were visible at upper elevations from overnight winds.
Weather
- Cloud Cover
- scattered
- Wind Loading
- previous
- Recent Snowfall
- 43
- Snow Avail For Transport
- large amounts
A cold, cloudy morning gave way to clearing skies and warming temperatures. There was some remaining blowing snow near 7,000ft in the morning, but winds became mostly light. There was significant evidence of the strong westerly winds overnight. New snow: 39-43cm, mostly very low-density.
Snowpack
New Snow
39-43cm over the 3/25 crust
Summary
In the shade, the new snow was "right-side up" and very low-density in the upper layers. The lower 9cm of the recent snow (immediately above the crust) was moist and well-bonded to the crust. On SE-SW, surfaces were moist by mid-morning and they became heavy by 12 p.m. The 3/25 crust was thick and frozen enough (6cm of P+ hard) to support standing in boots. A thick layer of weak, unfrozen melt forms remains below from the rain event of 3/16-20.
Profile
5100ft, SE, flat, shaded
HS 305cm, HN24 43cm, Boot Pen 40cm
0-34cm: F-F+ hard, rimed stellars, 1.0mm, dry,
34-43cm: 4F hard, rounds, 0.3mm, moist, @34cm CTE(RP)
43-57cm: P+ hard, crust (3/25), moist
57-78cm: 4F+ hard, melt forms, moist, @ 57cm CTM(SC)
Findings: 43cm of new snow was well-bonded to the 3/25 crust
Avalanche
I saw a number of triggered and natural loose wet avalanches. 4-5 skier-triggered slides in the Stormies area, ~2 natural slides in Moonlight, and 2-3 long-running slides on Licthenberg Mtn. All were D1 between 5,300-4,000ft on E-S. They were predictable and somewhat easy to trigger on sunny slopes over 38 degrees. On lower-angle and more shaded slopes, they were difficult to trigger. See photos and video.