Tuckerman Ravine

Multiple recent natural avalanches occured across the terrain in south, east, and southeast-facing aspects. Intense wind loading may have already reloaded some of these areas throughout  the day. Wind speeds averaged in the low 80s with gusts in the high 90s in our time in the field and has continued throughout the afternoon. Observed that firmer wind deposited snow was bridging to the layers beneath it and that stability was increasing. Pockets of more reactive snow existed in south-facing locations but this was found to be isolated in the terrain we encountered today.

In the snowfields above the Tuckerman Ravine Trail observed isolated shooting cracks in places that had a south-facing tilt. Here the snow was slightly softer, with a windskin on top, and was the most sensitive. A stabilizing trend was noted compared to observations from the same location yesterday.

Observed active wind loading of snow from the ridge line and snow was often seen pouring down steep, lee aspects. Other than isolated spots that were south-facing, most of the hardness of the snow encountered was Pencil. Encountered a lot of wind drifts and sastrugi snow in the boulder field above the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. Snowpack is generally strong-over-weak, but the surface layer of snow has begun to effectively bridge weight, protecting any weaker layers below. 

Generally, sensitivity was decreasing and wind slab reactivity was becoming stubborn in the snow that we encountered.  Short breaks in snow transport revealed softer, wind slabs low in the start zones, with significant wind scouring in the upper parts of most avalanche paths, especially in paths that were directly east or northeast-facing, such as Left Gully. Softer snow was being more protected on south aspects, which was supported by the high-elevation crown line in Lobster Claw.