Rain Gauge - Persistant Weak Layer

<p>Rain Gauge is generally a thinner snowpack area in the Flathead region. Snow depths are variable due to wind transport stripping windward slopes and loading lee areas. While probing one of these lee areas we found over 300cm of consolidated snow, however as we crossed the slope the snowpack depths tapered off to a rocky outcrop where the snow depth was only 130 cm. The top 70 cm is wind-affected snow that is bonding well to the softer snow below it. This consolidated layer is sitting over a weak sugary facet layer on a rain crust that was reactive in our snowpack tests. (ECTP13 down 70 on size 2 facets) The persistent slab problem is isolated but still reactive in these shallow rocky areas.</p>

Terrain Ridden

Mellow slopes.

Terrain Avoided

Alpine slopes, Convex slopes, Steep slopes.

Snow Conditions

Powder, Wind affected.

Weather Conditions

Warm, Windy.