Quick report
Ridgelines facing SE and E in Tuckerman Ravine were scoured. The floor of Tuckerman Ravine was wind-affected and firm. In SE and E aspects of Tuckerman Ravine, snow surfaces in sheltered areas appeared smooth and pillowy. Multiple skiers made their way down Right Gully and Sluice with soft snow coming off the edges of their skis. ECT and shovel shear tests proved stubborn and unreactive in south-facing terrain.
A small, skier-triggered, point-release, dry-loose avalanche was observed in Sluice, ~4900 ft. This avalanche was from the 6cm of new snow that fell earlier this morning. There were limited signs of instability, and no recent avalanches were noted from the wind loading event yesterday.Weather
- Cloud Cover
- few
- Wind Loading
- none
- Recent Snowfall
- 6
- Snow Avail For Transport
- none
Scattered clouds this morning around 0900 AM with light wind from the west at Hermit Lake. Hiking into Tuckerman Ravine ~1030 AM, the wind became calm from the west, and the clouds became fewer.
Snowpack
Snow depth varied along our route. Boot penetration from 1cm (floor of Tuckerman Ravine) to 15cm along our ascent up towards Right Gully. The density of the snow varied as well. In the deeper areas, the snow was soft. In more shallow areas, snow was found to be firmer.
Our pit site was on a 38-degree slope in a S aspect at 4800 ft. We did not find a layer of concern. We found 6cm of F hard snow on top of 96cm (pit depth) of P hard snow. A moderate result was found during a shovel shear test (STM). At the same location, an ECT resulted in ECTN24, 20cm down, Q3. Test results showed stubborn, irregular, non-planar results, indicating a generally cohesive and well-bonded snowpack.