Skyline area to Moonlight

Generally stable conditions with older/short-lived instabilities observed. The recently buried 1/1 interface is weak, but doesn't have enough snow/load on it to be a problem.

none new instability observed today

HST 2-3cm overlies 1/1 near surface facets. Snowpack depths at least 2 meters above 4,500ft. From 4,000-4,300ft, a crust was 20-25cm below the surface. Above this elevation, there was no sub-surface crust. There's potential for isolated Jan 1st buried surface hoar, tho it's less of a concern due to the more widespread faceting.

At Skyline Lake, 5,100ft the height of snow was 243cm, and the Solstice crust was down 110cm.

 

A profile, above Skyline Lake on Heather Ridge, NNW, 5427ft (HS 240cm) yielded mostly progressively harder and well-bonded snowpack. A storm layer (down 43-47cm) is still gaining strength and the layer of most concern. See profile graph

Notable interfaces were:

Down 2cm: small facets (FCsf, 0.5mm), Jan 1st

Down 23cm: easy shovel tilt and compression tests (CTE(PC)) where weak, recent snow was over a 4F hard, settled layer.

Down 43-47cm: Resistant and non-propagating tests (CTM(RP), ECTN21 down 47cm). 1Finger+ layer overlies 1Finger hard DFs (1.5mm). This may be a similar interface that's responsible for recent small slab avalanches in wind-loaded terrain.

Down 104cm: Solstice crust