Quick report
Surprising amount and quality of new snow at mid and low elevations, w no signs of instability on consequential slopes up to 40*.
Weather
- Air Temp
- Low 20s
- Cloud Cover
- obscured
- Wind Loading
- none
- Recent Snowfall
- 8"
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Snow showers (S-1 to S1) most of the day. No wind. Clouds in drainages.
Snowpack
4-10" of recent, low-density snow at surface all aspects at low and mid elevations. Stayed dry on all aspects thanks to cloud cover and cool temps. Lots of SAWS - snow available for wet slides. And lots of potential triggers, because most trees still holding snow in branches. Snowpack < 5000 feet ~ 1 m and unconsolidated. Would be easy for wet loose slides to gouge into this snow once it gets saturated.
New snow sitting on harder, dry snow on shady aspects, and a 1-2 cm thick sun crust on steep, open sunny slopes. This crust was more widespread on slopes with a westerly tilt. It didn't affect skiing much.
Probing w pole at mid elevations indicated mid-January ice down ~100 cm.
Avalanche
Surface snow moved with turns on slopes > 35* but never got going far or fast, and stayed on surface.