North Island post storm

tandrewschissler , Sunday 2nd February, 2025 5:15PM

Sparing the exact location, we skiied mellow N and NE aspect features at treeline (mostly 1300-1500m). Recent storm had a midstorm increase in temperature before cooling, leading to the new snow being a sandwich of low density snow with a higher density midsection. This actually helped the snow ski very nicely, and decreased the amount that you felt the underlying crust. We found 35 cm of new snow at 1300m. We picked our terrain due to the recency of the last storm, and the uncertainty of its bond with the crest. We had small whumphs frequently in large open areas, and found convex unsupported test rolls to be quite reactive, shearing down to the crust. We didn't investigate the suspect layer in more detail, but it appeared to be some type of granular crystal on top of the crust; perhaps facets or partially decomposed surface hoar. More supportive N facing small test slopes of up to 40° were not reactive to aggressive cutting and jumping, but no further formal testing was conducted. No signs of natural avalanches, though shifting visibility made peering off into the distance at bigger features less reliable. We saw active snow transport at ridgecrest being carried by moderate West winds midday. These were creating shallow cracky windslabs at ridgecrest. Temps stayed cool throughout the day, probably peaking around -4- -5 at 1300m. Visibility was excellent, with shifting clouds and lots of nice sunny breaks. Overall, a spectacular day out in the mountains in chill terrain, and an interesting interface to pay attention to as the cold temps persist.