Basic Information

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Avalanche Observations

Avalanche Observation Comments:

There had been a D1 wet loose that had runneled the center of the north couloir. This was notable not for its size but for the fact that it created a spring-style runnel in December!

Snowpack Observations

Continuing the snowpack inventory, focusing on shaded aspects at middle and upper elevations. Snow coverage increases rapidly between 6,500' (little to no snow) and 7,500' (70-80cm of snow). Where the snowpack is thicker there are two prominent sets of crusts that roughly split the pack into thirds. There is a decent bit of faceting going on below these crusts. I dug on a NE slope at 7,700' and performed a few rounds of ECTs. Results were mixed. I received several ECTNs with moderate to hard force, as well as a single ECTP failing below each crust with moderate force (ECTP13 down 45cm, ECTP17 down 20cm). It's tricky to interpret these types of mixed results, but any propagating results on an obvious weak layer are concerning. The snowpack is still moist at the ground, but this water is gradually being pushed out of the snowpack.

The current snow surface (before the big wind event) is variable, depending on aspect and elevation. As I've found around Titus, Galena Peak, and Morgan Ridge, there is a fragile 1-2cm ambient temp crust at the surface on shaded aspects with 5-10mm SH grains on top. These grains are exhibiting multi-phase growth, with crystals being melted by ambient temperatures during the day and regrowing overnight. I wouldn't expect this surface to be quite as touchy as a nice clean set of standing SH crystals, but it could certainly serve as a weak layer once loaded. I couldn't see them directly, but I suspect that there are also some small facets near the surface.