Quick report
Today, white-out conditions kept us below 8,000 feet, as we searched the Old Ski Bowl and Gray Butte areas for instability. No recent signs of instability were observed. For most areas, a dusting (1-2 inches) of soft snow sits on a supportable solar crust. On more northerly terrain, the crust is less noticeable, giving way to more soft snow below. The cold temperatures kept crusts and surfaces firm. Wind was calm and unnoticeable. All in all, it was a foggy and humid day out there.
No signs of instability were observed.Weather
- Air Temp
- 28
- Cloud Cover
- obscured
- Wind Loading
- none
- Recent Snowfall
- 2
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
A heavy cloud bank at 8,000 feet left the upper mountain in white-out conditions for the entirety of the outing. Air was relatively humid, with temperatures below freezing. Wind was light and unnoticeable.
Snowpack
In short, the upper snowpack of Old Ski Bowl and the surrounding area is a series of crusts and soft snow with varying thickness. At the surface, one to two inches of soft snow sits on a thin, solar crust. In many areas, this crust is fully supportable, with only a dusting of soft snow on top. In other areas, this crust is less noticeable, with five inches of soft, dense snow below. All of this is on top of a very firm, supportable crust below. On the northwest face of Gray Butte, softer conditions were easier to find.