Quick report
- Red Flags
- Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
P1: General Wx Ob
P2: Impromptu pit (NW, 9000')
P3: Warm spring day, hazards reemerging
P4: MFc on most aspects, elevations sometimes combined with old wind crust
P5: Sheltered Polars
P6: Coverage around 8500'
Snowpack
Diverse processes at work today, some overlapping...
Isolated pockets on true polars remain cold. Most other previously preserved snow has, and continues, to take significant heat.
Unexpected pit obs (NE, 9000'): The previous shot of cold snow from last week has morphed into near surface mank with a cap of refreezing melt freeze crust. Beneath this is "cakey, spongey" (healed) wind slabs that have dried out and are becoming stiffer and more brittle. The bottom half of the snowpack is as expected, weak and crusty to the ground.
Good snow is getting much harder to find and access is just about gone for the zone. Best snow was at least 25mi from trailhead.