Purple Ridge

Up to 10 inches of storm snow on sheltered slopes largely posed a loose snow avalanche threat, but there could be a few isolated places with sensitive buried Surface Hoar capable of producing soft slabs.  Drifted terrain features seemed like an easy place to trigger an avalanche in the recent storm snow.  Fabulous skiing!  

On drifted test slopes it was easy to trigger a soft slab in the storm snow. We did not experience any collapses an weak layers beneath the storm snow. Loose Dry avalanches were likely on slopes near or above 40 degrees in steepness.

Up to 10 inches of new storm snow.  Evidence of drifting from west to northwest winds near and above treeline with more snow available to transport if winds increase.  In a few locations on shaded slopes below treeline we found small Surface Hoar (5mm) beneath the storm snow, but did not experience any cracking in the new snow.  

We dug a quick test pit on a northeast-facing slope just over 11,000 feet with 140cm depth (4.5 feet).  This lower-angled feature had a full snowpack depth (no previous avalanche activity) and seemed to be lightly drifted this winter.  No obvious buried Surface Hoar and basal facets were 4-finger+ hard.