Quick report
Snowbasin uphill travel opened up this weekend.. and today will likely be the only day providing top to bottom coverage as most of the trails were bare ground below 7500' prior to this last storm. Despite the low snow, coverage in the upper cirques is holding on but the barrier to entry will only get higher. [Forecaster comment - Snowbasin has finished operations this season and this observation represents a backcountry snowpack at Snowbasin.]
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Visible windslabs along the ridgelines. Did not see any evidence of recent slab failures but the drifts are there. Despite consistent winds I observed minimal wind transported snow during the day. </p> <p>Cold temps and cloud coverage prevented wet loose activity but direct sun this morning caused some pinwheeling in the new snow on due east and south slopes. Where there was snow before the storm in the higher elevations the new snow now sits on top of a slick melt freeze crust. With increasing temps this weekend I would expect more activity. </p>
Around 7" of new snow from the past several days made for some enjoyable riding. Storm snow was light to moderate density with several shots of large grained graupel. By mid day snow surfaces on southerlies and easterlies were damp but soft snow could be found in sheltered areas out of the wind zone where the snow surface got wind crusted.