Snowpack

Forestdale Divide

Travis FeistCentral Sierra Nevada
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Quick report

After finding dry facets at the ground at 8800ft yesterday, I wanted to come back to an 8800ft location where I knew facets were previously moist. At Forestdale Divide today, I dug on shaded slopes at 8400ft and 8800ft. In both locations, facets at the ground were still moist - as observed at the same locations several days ago. At 8800ft, Deep Tap Tests still produced Sudden Collapse results, as they did previously. Faceting at the surface was the biggest change I saw at this location between last Friday, Dec 22nd and today. On the 22nd, facets at the surface were barely developed. Today, faceting at the surface was more obvious and concerning, given a chance of additional precipitation this week.

Deep Tap Tests on facets at the ground were still showing unstable results (Sudden Collapse), though they were under a strong snowpack

Weather

Cloud Cover
broken
Wind Loading
light
Snow Avail For Transport
moderate amounts

Cool, cloudy, and breezy afternoon, with some current wind transport observed. Recent faceting of the surface snow made more available for wind transport

Snowpack

2-3ft of high density, strong snow observed. Faceting at the surface observed on shaded slopes from  about 8000ft to my high point of 8800ft. I dug to the facets at the ground on a shaded slope at 8400ft, and again at 8800ft, and in both locations they were moist.