Quick report
- Collapsing
- specific
During our tour yesterday we didn't visually observe any natural avalanches. Wind slabs had formed near ridgelines above the treeline, but weren't widespread. In sheltered terrain we measured 18" of storm snow, sitting above the 3/22 crust. While digging our snowpack test we noticed the 3/22 crust was about 10cm (4") thick, but water had percolated down much further into the snowpack. In our pit, the 2/1 crust was buried more than 4' deep and was unreactive in our tests.
As we traveled from the saddle of Angell Peak and Lees Peak onto the shoulder of Lees we experienced numerous collapses.Weather
- Air Temp
- 22
- Cloud Cover
- obscured
- Wind Loading
- light
- Recent Snowfall
- 10
- Snow Avail For Transport
- large amounts
Spring-like weather with intermittent snow showers, sun breaks, and obscured skies.
Snowpack
Our snowpit was on an East Aspect at 8,500', and we found 53cm or nearly 2' of new snow sitting on top of a crust buried last Friday 3/22. Some of the snow had blown in from the wind, but we measured 18" of new snow in protected areas sitting above the 3/22 crust. We performed an Extended Column Test, which propagated (failed) on the 27th tap down 53cm on the firm 3/22 crust. The collapses we experienced were related to the new snow above the 3/22 crust.
This snow had formed into a soft slab, and likely needed another 24-48 hours to bond to the old snow properly.