Schuylkill Ridge

The snowpack is weak and shallow in this area, providing just enough support and coverage for riding.  Even though extreme winds ripped through this area, we did not encounter any slabs, just thin, breakable windboard that made the riding conditions challenging.  Intermixed were small patches of soft snow that made for nice turns.

No cracking or collapsing. A few small sections of windboard produced cracks up to a ski length.

The snowpack is weak throughout this area and generally 30 - 45cm deep.  Even the typical wind-loaded spots along the ridgeline were soft except thin, windboard at the surface from the recent wind event.  Snow surfaces are a mix of soft, breaker windboard, and supportive wind-stiffened snow.  The small amount of snowfall and extreme winds covered the weak facets below, which may act as a buffer between the next storm and the weaker snow below.

We did not encounter any shooting cracks or slab formation from the recent wind event.  The thickest deposit I found was just 2 to 3 inches thick.

I didn't find any surface hoar that formed earlier in the week intact.  The winds likely blasted it all away.