Quick report
At Saint Mary today, we found generally thin conditions with widespread surface melt freeze crusts. On the south aspects we traveled on, we found generally stable conditions.
No signs of instability observed.Weather
- Air Temp
- 25
- Cloud Cover
- scattered
- Wind Loading
- previous
- Recent Snowfall
- 0
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Scattered clouds generally increasing through the day. Winds were light to moderate out of the southwest. Temperatures felt warm below treeline, but the wind kept things cool above tree line.
Snowpack
We dug a pit on a SE aspect at 8500 ft and found a strong snowpack. There was a strong 9" thick pencil+ hard melt freeze crust in the mid pack. There was also a layer of facets near the ground, but the layer was gaining strength. An extended column test did not produce any results. Near surface facets had developed at the top of the snowpack.
Above 8800 ft, the snowpack was heavily wind affected. Many areas were scoured to the ground, while other areas had stiff wind board at the surface.
There were widespread surface melt freeze crusts from the recent warm temperatures and sun. The crusts began to disappear above 7500 ft in shaded areas and above 8400 ft in sunny areas.
South aspects below 7000 feet were very thin, and on our exit, they were wet to the ground.