Quick report
I collected observations from S and NW aspects below and near treeline. I did not notice a significant difference in snow stability between the two aspects. I dug down on a NW aspect and found heavy/saturated snow on top of a barely distinguishable crust. I tested several small wind slabs on leeward (NW) aspects with no movement due to snow saturation. While wind slabs and cross loading were still apparent, they were not easily disturbed below and near treeline. No observed instabilities.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 33º-34º
- Cloud Cover
- obscured
- Wind Loading
- previous
- Rain Elevation
- 8500
- Recent Snowfall
- 0
- Snow Avail For Transport
- none
Weather conditions were foggy and rainy throughout the day. Wind speeds were around 30MPH in the morning and increased throughout the day from the SE. Rain began to freeze to the snow surface at around 8000'. The sky was obscured for most of the day, but I began to notice patches of blue in an overcast/fully covered sky at around 15:00.
Snowpack
The warm storm system from the southwest brought in rain up to 8000' and freezing rain form 8000' - 8500'. Due to the nature of the storm, the snowpack became increasingly saturated throughout the day. Several small hand tests indicated saturation and compression of new snow as well as bonding to the slick bed surface observed on the 26th. However, the freezing rain above 8000' created an additional crust on top of soft/dry snow from the two days previous. This has the potential to create future instabilities over the next couple of days as temperatures dip and precipitation continues. The snowpack was shallow at best even on loaded aspects. South aspects are scoured and icy above 8000' and saturated below 8000'.