Chute Buttress

Found wind slab commonly across Tuckerman Ravine. These slabs 2-8 inches thick and rest on top of a hard and slick melt/freeze crust that was found widespread across the terrain. The bonding was poor at the interface of new snow and the old crust. Potential for bonding to have improved through the afternoon with warming temperatures and moistening snow.

Observed newly deposited wind slabs across the ravine from the 2.3 inches of new snow overnight. The wind drifted snow sits on top of a widespread, very slick melt freeze crust. This crust is softening compared to observations from yesterday, but it is still very hard and in most locations is Knife hard (K- in a few places). While some scoured locations were observed, most of the wind slab was 2-8 inches thick. 

Found the new snow to be poorly bonded at the interface of the new snow and melt/freeze crust. The composition of the wind slab was a thin windskin of 1 Finger over 4 Finger hardness snow in all locations observed. Multiple hand sheers at different elevations and aspects (northeast and east) showed consistent results with failures sliding easily at the interface of the new snow and the melt/freeze crust. In eastern aspects our highpoint was 4690 feet and found snow to be similar in forementioned composition and distribution. 4650 ft was the highest point of a northest aspect observed and did find the snow to stiffen, with the 1F layer being thicker in this aspect at higher elevations. At all locations observed this upside down composition.

Clean sheer quality was noted. Did not observe any propagation, or feel that the snow had the energy to translate shooting cracks and propagation. Concerns were about sluffing and snow sliding out underneath skis on the slick surface below. 

Observed rollerballs and some surface snow sluffing above where we were in Chute and evidence that wet loose avalanches may happen later in the afternoon with continued warming and moisture in the snow. The surface snow was beginning to moisten and believe that this would have continued later into the afternoon as warm temperatures were sustained in the ravine. Across Chute, Center Headwall, and the Lip observed sizable, frozen debris that indicates wet slab activity from Saturday’s 4/1 rain event. No crownlines were observed.