Lost Trail backcountry, West fork of Camp Creek

Today, both a lot was going on and seemingly little going on for avalanche hazards. Multiple avalanche problems were occurring simultaneously, but none reached the threshold to produce D2 avalanches.

New snow totals were around 3 inches overnight, bringing the total up to 7 inches on top of a supportable melt-freeze crust. - - Early today, the new top 3" snow was still fairly low density and ran easily as dry loose avalanches on all aspects.

- By late morning, warm temperatures had brought the new snow into a bit of a storm slab, and I began to see cracking in the new snow with the ability to kick out very small slabs.

- By early afternoon, periods of strong sun rapidly warmed all solar aspects, and the new snow began to move naturally as rollerballs and small point releases. It would have been likely to push wet loose avalanches with skis during this period.

This was intermixed with periods of light and small graupel, and occasional wind gusts. There was minimal wind transport, likely due to the fact that winds were calm early in the morning when the snow was lower density and more available for transport.

- The persistent slab problem of facets near the crust mid snowpack is still present with poor structure, but unreactive in tests with multiple ECTN results.

- There is no longer enough snow at low elevation to produce avalanches. 

Much of tomorrow's hazard will depend on snow totals this afternoon. I left the field around 1500, and 3-4 inches of snow was forecasted for later today with the potential for increased graupel.

Wet loose avalanches will likely be the dominant problem tomorrow unless storm totals this evening overproduce and build more storm slabs.

 

Cracking in new snow around skis at upper elevation.