Stevens Pass; Mill Creek, Rooster Comb Area

Even with the notable lack of cool temperatures to lock up our snowpack, it is consolidating and settling out well. It is significantly more supportable to both boots and skis than just a few days ago. Some fresh snow with a favorable bond to the soft crust below made for pleasant travel. I was unable to push any wet snow into rollerballs or small wet loose avalanches on test slopes, and wind-affected snow (at least where I was located) was too shallow for any avalanche concerns. 

Snow Surface Summary: Despite the ongoing mild temperatures and poor overnight re-freezes, the snowpack is consolidated and gaining strength. The 6cm of fresh snow was moist over a soft melt-freeze crust that was supportable to skis. Boot pen was 20-30cm. There was some evidence of wind-drifting in textured surfaces, but new snow was too shallow for any wind slab concerns. The combination of fresh snow and the soft, supportable crust made for better-than-expected ski conditions. 

Snowpack Summary: The new snow has a favorable bond to the soft, underlying crust (4F). The upper snowpack is moist and soft towards the surface but quickly becomes more consolidated and stronger with 1F hardness at a depth of 30cm. The snow becomes increasingly stronger to P over two thin melt-freeze crusts (March 9th) buried 72cm deep. All of this upper snowpack consists of moist melt forms. Below the March 9th crust is P hard, moist, rounded grains down to the Late February AR crust, buried 117cm. Directly above the Late February AR was a thin layer of decomposing graupel mixed with what might have once been small faceted grains. Snowpack test results were hard, with nonplaner shears in the upper snowpack. Test slopes produced no results. 

Height of Snow: 390cm (may be deeper than average due to location below a ridgeline)

Snowpack Test Results: CT14 RP ↓17, CT25 RP ↓27