Green Butte Ridge

Today, we visited leeward aspects along Green Butte to assess the sensitivity of newly formed wind slabs. In general, they were reactive, failing up to about a foot deep on a graupel layer near the old/new snow interface and on isolation in an extended column test. Slabs increased in size with elevation and were deepest nearest the ridgeline, tapering rapidly with distance downslope. Numerous other graupel layers were identified within the new snow, all serving as potential weak layers with continued loading. Not enough snow, about 4 to 5 inches, had accumulated for storm slabs to come into play in sheltered areas. but will probably tomorrow as storm totals increase. On a west aspect near treeline beneath February's precipitation, we found faceted snow under about an about inch thick melt freeze crust. This crust has shown to be widespread throughout the zone and spatially variable in thickness. While the graupel layers remain the more immediate concern, continued loading may test the strength of this crust and weak snow combination, especially where it is thin on the shadier aspects. 

We were able to trigger small wind slabs below and above treeline. Cracking in the new snow was apparent on convex test slopes.