Quick report
- Aspect
- Northeast
- Red Flags
- Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2957 m
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Only noted poor structure today. I didn't experience any cracking or collapsing.</p>
Faceted grains noted down as low as 8900' on a northerly facing aspect. These facets sit uncomfortably over a hard basal melt freeze crust. Note second profile.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Poor structure with ECTN 19&21 and ECTP21 and a <a href="https://arc.lib.montana.edu/snow-science/objects/ISSW2023_O11.02.pdf">GROM Score</a> of 4 at my snow pit at 9700'. Photos below tell the tale. </p> <p>Although the <strong>northwest</strong> winds have been relentless, I imagine (time and warm temps) most of these soft and hard slabs of wind drifted snow have become stubborn and difficult to trigger. Cornice lip and wind drifts on the <strong>southeast</strong> face of Tri-County Peak.</p>
Damp, thick, supportable, and surfy on all aspects; surface snow on the northerly aspects are damp at least to 9700'. One can make a snowball with this surface snow and I suspect that any recently developed sharp edges on the surface (faceting) have started to round off. Plenty of time to swing the other way, though.
Southerly aspects are patchy and brown...and will only become more patchy and brown with the forecast very warm temperatures and no reliable storms on the horizon....