Quick report
Mainly right side up snowpack with great powder at the surface exists. Our main concern was a buried surface hoar layer from the start of the storm, about a foot deep where we traveled.
Weather
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- moderate
- Rain Elevation
- 2000
- Recent Snowfall
- 30
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Cloud intensity varied, as sometimes ridges a mile or 2 away were visible and at other times they were obscured. Snowfall was light to moderate for most of the day. New snowfall amounts were difficult to accurately determine due to wind-effect in most areas.
Snowpack
Around 30cm, or a foot of snow, was present above a thin crust from 3/8-3/9 in the 4700-5200' range. It was variably wind-affected in most areas.
Pit tests in predominantly northerly aspects found a failure about 5cm beneath the thin crust, on a layer of decomposing forms and rounding surface hoar crystals. This was our main concern in pits.
There was not quite enough snow for storm slabs to be much of a concern where we traveled, and wind slabs were present but no cracking or collapsing on the layers was noted.
Avalanche
No new or old avalanches observed.