Box Y, Squaw Creek

Rode to Box Y for some weather station work. About 4 inches of (wet) new snow overnight at the parking lot. Lightly raining on the drive down. Rain turned to snow somewhere around 7500-8000'. About 6-8 inches of new snow at 8500' up Squaw Creek. Lower elevations still have poor coverage.  Getting up into the middle elevations was still a little heads up with shallow obstacles still a hazard on sunny slopes and slopes exposed to the wind. Wind effect was noticeable above 8000 with fresh, soft wind slabs 1-2 feet deep. No cracking or collapsing observed.

We dug around 8500' on a northeast aspect in the north fork of Murphy Creek. Snow height was 49 inches (125 cm). ECTN14 down 24 inches (60 cm) on some preserved graupel above the 12/26 crust. Of note, there was moisture/wet snow throughout the pit to the ground. Rounding facets/rounds (and very moist) on the ground.