Glen Lake - Central Bitterroot

Early season conditions still exist; there is minimal snow coverage at lower elevations and a shallow snowpack at middle and upper elevations. A slab exists, and we observed indications of instability today: wind-loading, moderate precipitation rates, and propagation in our snowpit test. More snow and wind are expected as this storm cycle continues, so be alert for changing conditions.

We observed cracking in wind-drifted snow on north-facing ridgelines. We also observed intense snow drifting on ridgelines and winds were shifting from northwest to southwest. Our snowpit ECT test result indicates that a slab sitting on a weak layer exists in the snowpack.

On average, there is minimal snow coverage at lower elevations on all aspects, less than 1 foot. At middle and upper elevations, snow coverage increases to approximately 2 feet on north aspects but is still minimal on south aspects. Deeper pockets of wind-loaded snow exist in upper elevations on north aspects, and we observed intense snow drifting on ridge tops today. 

We dug a snowpit at 8100' on a northeast aspect. The pit was a little over 2 feet (67cm) in depth. We found approximately 3 inches of new snow at the surface consisting of graupel and other precipitation particles. Moving down the snowpack, we found two melt-freeze crusts. Between the crusts was a layer of decomposing fragments, and we found evidence of liquid water movement in this layer. The crust below this layer was moist. A thick, dry layer of facets sits at the ground. We performed an Extended Column Test and got a moderate propagating result on the slab/facet interface.