Observation: Steep Hollow

There was obvious evidence of recent wind drifting in upper elevation terrain... Cracking is an obvious sign of wind slab instability... There were freshly formed, but stiff wind drifts or slabs up to at least a foot deep on lee slopes near ridge tops. This is a northeast-facing slope near an exposed ridge at about 9000 feet in elevation... A layer of surface hoar is capped and nicely preserved by a couple of inches of light new snow. This is likely to become a problematic, persistent weak layer when it is loaded by future snows.