Point 6

Today, we found 8-10 inches of new snow and moderate northwest winds at upper elevations that produced touchy avalanche conditions. We observed two natural wind slab avalanches and intentionally triggered two wind slabs, all failing on the crust interface at the bottom of the new snow.  We also observed widespread shooting cracks in the new snow in both wind-loaded and wind-sheltered terrain. Steeper wind sheltered terrain likely would have produced storm slab avalanches. Poor snowpack structure and a low likelihood, high consequence persistent slab problem still exist on upper elevation north and east aspects. 

We observed natural and human-triggered avalanches in the new snow and widespread shooting cracks in both wind-loaded and wind-sheltered terrain.

By the afternoon, there was 8-10 inches of new snow at upper elevations. The new snow was resting on melt-freeze crusts everywhere we traveled today. 

We dug a snowpit on an east aspect at 7400 ft. The 8" of new snow produced a propagating result failing on the crust interface on the first tap of an extended column test (ECTP1). We also found a poor snowpack structure with a 3 foot thick hard slab resting on weak, moist depth hoar. The depth hoar propagated in an extended column test on the 14th tap (ECTP14). The total snow depth was 112 cm (44"). 

The snow at lower elevations was thin and moist, and produced small rollerballs on steep roadcuts.