Quick report
I did not observe any Wet Loose activity today, as the high cloud cover kept the surface snow temperature from getting too warm and slushy. Around noon, the SE-facing slopes of China Cap were softening. Overall, it was cooler than I anticipated, given the forecasted freezing level and daytime air temperature.
The snow line is creeping uphill rapidly. I started at 5,500 feet from the Buck Creek Trailhead and walked on the dirt summer trail for a mile or so before I could put my skis on. Coverage on the West-North-East slopes is holding up, but anything with a southerly tilt is melting quickly.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 40
- Cloud Cover
- broken
Broken skies with the occasional burst of sunshine. Temperatures were warming the snow surface around midday.
Snowpack
I dug to the ground on a SE aspect at 7,500 feet. Water had made it to the ground with the previous warm weather and rain on snow events. All of the snow grains I observed were rounds, even down near the ground and the January Facet layer.