Quick report
Windy conditions today, but we did not observe any new windslab formation. Snow surfaces were capped by a rime crust down to ~9,700’ and a thin, breakable rain crust below that. No snow available for transport where we traveled. We did note some flagging on the higher peaks above 10,500’ where finding a newly formed wind slab seemed most likely.
Snow surfaces warmed up, solar aspects took on heat, which actually improved ski quality. Low elevations didn't refreeze and are melting fast.
None.Weather
- Cloud Cover
- scattered
- Wind Loading
- previous
- Rain Elevation
- 9500
- Snow Avail For Transport
- none
Sustained moderate winds, strong on high ridgelines. The sun was softening some solar aspects at upper elevations.
Snowpack
We dug on a north facing slope at 9,200’ to check on the persistent weak layers in the middle of the snowpack. Things looked pretty good here. No buried surface hoar and the faceted snow from Jan/Feb has gained considerable strength underneath the weight of a 2.5 foot thick hard slab. Impacting this layer as a human is unlikely given the depth and hardness of the overlying slab. That said, the faceted grains still propagated a crack relatively easily in a propagation saw test.
ECTX x2. PST 40/100 End. Down 80cm from the surface.