Quick report
Fun ramble at the Summit and nearby. With the guidance of the NWAC weather-forecast, UW GFS, and UW radar we started skinning after 11am as the last shower-band passed by. Skinning was fast and easy on the soggy groomers, but not as fast as the sleet-covered groomers from Friday evening. Roofalanches shed all night as hydrated frozen precipitation flowed from roofs. In the backcountry, trail-breaking on 70mm skis was rarely deeper than boot-top at elevations up to 4k. Snow was soggy and heavy, with some pinwheeling, but it wasn't really moving yet. Winds were pretty stout easterly-flow at the ridgeline -- the ski-areas stayed in or below thick clouds all day. West of the pass, views opened up a bit as the cloud-sea flowed over the ridge (see photos for the only view we had all day, of Humpback). Skating across the top of Central around 2pm, we were surprised to find that unskied groomers had begun to form a thin but fast icy crust. Liquid precip began right as the models portended, stepping quickly from steady rain to pouring right around 3pm.