Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
Snow depth varies across zone. Trees rimed on W aspect and today's mod SW wind show wind loading lee to the W/SW. Basal facets 2+mm in size make up the bottom 30-50cm of snowpack above 9,400'. PST 40/115 at 10,100' on N aspect the only propagating test result observed. Small soft cornice intentionally triggered, failed easily -- N aspect 10,000’ (SS-ACc-R1-D1-S). Cracking limited to wind drifts on NE half of compass above 9500'. No natural avalanche activity or collapses observed.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 25
- Cloud Cover
- broken
- Wind Loading
- moderate
- Rain Elevation
- N/A
- Recent Snowfall
- 10-15
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
SW winds light in AM increasing to Mod by PM. Blowing snow observed with wind increase. Temp at TH at 8600’ at 0900 was 25F. Skies were BKN until 1100, then OVC. Intermittent S-1 after 1100, increasing to S2 by 1600.
Snowpack
Snow surface varies across the zone, with wind scoured SW slopes and ridges, and some sastrugi and whalebacks above 9600’. HST is tough to tell due to wind transport but HN24 likely 10-15cm. Wind is transporting snow lee to the W-SW, with new cornice formation and wind loading. Good skiing, especially in sheltered terrain features. Below surface- Few signs of instability noted below 9000’. Steep solar aspects below 9,000’ have a variable crust 35cm down with rounding facets underneath that broke on hand shears. Widely variable HS throughout the zone, with 115cm in sheltered areas below 9000’, 0-50cm on wind scoured ridges, and 180-240cm on N-NE slopes above 10,000’. Pit dug at 9770’ on SSE aspect: HS 100cm, with a thin K crust 27cm down with a layer of 4F rounding facets underneath. Despite stratigraphy and a 30 cm layer of wet basal facets, structure acted as one cohesive slab in this pit, with CT15 on the ground and ECTX. Pit dug at 9777 on NW aspect: HS 129 cm. CT19 SC down 93 cm on basal facets. ECTX testing the same layer. PST performed at 10,100’ on N aspect on 2+mm facet layer 50cm above ground: PST 40/115 END. Cohesive slab above this layer of concern.