Quick report
Traveled to southern Glacier National Park for my final field day of the season.
- We enjoyed mostly sunny skies, good visibility, and calm winds. No recent avalanche activity was observed. No cracking, collapses, or other signs of instability.
- On solar aspects, there were 4 to 6 inches of new snow resting above a faceting crust, up to just under 7000 feet. The surface snow exposed to the sun was becoming moist at all elevations by early afternoon.
- Shaded aspects were strikingly cold, as we observed our sweaty hats freeze while digging our north-facing snow pit.
- We skied a northern aspect, that had 12 inches of dry soft snow which transitioned to moist snow about 5700 feet. No signs of instability while skiing.
- In both snow pits, the new snow was unconsolidated and we did not get propagating results. We dug on a sunny, east-facing slope and a shaded north-facing slope around 6800 feet. ECTX and no fracture in our compression test.
- We observed one glide crack opening on a steep, southeasterly slope at upper elevations.
Skier triggered roller balls on sunny aspects.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 25-35
- Cloud Cover
- scattered
- Wind Loading
- none
- Recent Snowfall
- 4 to 6 inches
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Periods of intense sunshine mixed with scattered clouds. Calm winds.
Snowpack
Snowpit #1 East aspect @ 6800 feet. HS: 186. 15 cm new snow above faceting melt-freeze crust
Snowpit #2 North aspect @6800 feet. HS: 195. 28 cm new snow above 1F snow. ECTX, no fracture in CT test.
- No propagation, but 80 cm below the surface-stout block 20 cm of P hard snow resting above a 20 cm layer of weak facets.