Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
- Collapsing
- isolated
Conditions at Powderhouse have changed substantially with the weekend storm. It rained heavily, and there was significant wind. Whereas snow conditions before the storm were facets on top of numerous crusts, there are now slabs on top of softer snow: strong over weak. Both hand shears failed easily. Skinning conditions did improve, but descending conditions were terrible: breakable grabby crust all the way down. Breakable crust on N and NW aspects required a lift of the ski and stepping down for cracking and collapsing. On the way down, the crust broke all the way down.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 40s
- Cloud Cover
- broken
- Wind Loading
- previous
- Snow Avail For Transport
- none
Windy day with moderate SW winds and strong gusts.
Snowpack
The snowpack in this area on N and NW aspects consists of a surface crust on top of softer snow, followed by slightly denser snow on even softer snow. At 7960 ft, a surface crust of 6 cm, another at 18 cm down, with HS at 50 cm. At 8060, a 1F surface crust 10 cm thick, underneath 4F snow, crust at 24 cm down, with HS at 68 cm. At 8180 ft on N aspect, a P 10 cm crust, followed by 4F snow, crust at 24 cm, underneath which was F snow. Hand shear failed at 24 cm. Repeating at 8400 on N aspect, same structure, with hand shear failing on isolation at 24 cm. Both were resistant planar.