Quick report
We had a gloriously sunny day in the Snowbowl backcountry, and were able to get a good look around. We saw no recent avalanches, and observed localized cracking in wind loaded areas. Recent snow had covered up evidence of wind loading in most areas. In these wind loaded areas, hand pit and probing down revealed a firmer slab above the Valentines day (2/14) SH. Poor snowpack structure existed in the mid and upper terrain we travelled through, but we were surprised to not see any signs of instability, and had to work to not get lulled into a false sense of security. We saw no recent avalanches and observed poor snowpack structure, with no signs of instability.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 15
- Cloud Cover
- scattered
- Wind Loading
- light
- Recent Snowfall
- 5
- Snow Avail For Transport
- large amounts
Light swirling winds during the day from the E, S, and W while we travelled. Temps were steady throughout the day, with partly cloudy skies.
Snowpack
We dug 2 quick pits, and some quick hand pits. One pit was a mid elevation S aspect, 6,950ft. We found 4 (120cm) feet of snow, the top 10 inches (25cm) was new F hardness snow, then a 0.5" (1.5cm) 1F MFCr, 4" (10cm) of 4F snow, and a 2" (5cm) MFCr that formed during the January drought. The Valentines day SH and 1/24 SH was not present on this solar aspect. In our 7,250 NE aspect pit, we probed 6 feet of snow. The top 12 inches (30cm) was new F hardness snow, which rested on the Valentines day SH. Below this, 8" of 4F snow which rested on a thin crust, then 1" (2.5cm) of facets , then the 1/24 SH on top of the Jan drought layer. We also walked by an old pit on a mid elevation E aspect, where both layers of SH were present. Hand pits were on an E aspect at the edge of the ridge line, where we found firmer snow over the Valentines day SH.