Quick report
I went into the Alpental Valley this morning to check out the new snow from overnight. I found 3-4" of dry snow on top of the very firm old snow surface. “Dust on crust” is the best way to describe it. The snow didn't stay dry for long once the rain started up. At first, middle and upper elevations appeared to pick up more snow than rain, but with climbing temperatures into the early afternoon, I suspect those elevations experienced rain as well. The best up track to Source Lake is pretty beat up, and at times hard to follow. Hopefully coverage improves soon.
No instability observed.Weather
- Air Temp
- 32-34
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- none
- Rain Elevation
- 3500
- Recent Snowfall
- 8-10
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Temperatures were just at freezing when I arrived at the parking lot, and continued to warm throughout the outing. Precipitation kicked back on around 10am, with an inconsistent sprinkling of rain. Around 11:30, the rain picked up steadily. Skies were overcast, with lower clouds hanging over the Apental valley. No wind was noticed, although I traveled mostly near valley bottom.
Snowpack
It's nice to see some fresh snow on the ground. I measured 8-10 cm (3-4") of new snow at low elevations, on top of the very firm old snow. At Source Lake, total snow depth is ranged 110-125 cm (43-50"). In hand pits, it was easy to dig down to the surface hoar buried beneath the new snow. Rain kicked on pretty early into the day, and quickly dampened the top of the new snow.