Snowpack

Elkhorns

Victor McNeilElkhorns
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Quick report

The weak snow that formed during the January drought is starting to become more reactive in our snowpack tests.  It seems like the slab has begun to form just enough to increase the reactivity in our snowpack tests.  We may or may not see obvious signs of unstable snow, natural avalanches, etc.  That doesn't mean the snow we are riding above is strong or that the structure is sound. 

No obvious signs of unstable snow were observed.

Weather

Air Temp
16
Cloud Cover
overcast
Wind Loading
light
Recent Snowfall
14
Snow Avail For Transport
moderate amounts

Nice day overall with overcast skies, new snow falling, light winds in most areas.

Snowpack

We dug two adjacent snow pits on a SW aspect and North aspect at nearly 8,000'.  There's nearly 2' of storm snow from February that's sitting atop the January facets.  I also found some buried surface hoar mixed in with the facets at the new/old snow interface.  In both of our pits, we had full propagation in an extended column test on the top of the January facet layer.  In this location, there is just enough of a slab, above the weak snow to allow for a failure.