Observation: NWAC Forecaster

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Weather Summary

Cloud ceiling was at about 5500ft. Light snowfall became heavier around noon. Winds were actively redistributing the snow in most areas.

Snowpack Observations

South faces have a stout surface crust, slippery on skis where smooth, or hateful in areas with refrozen rollerballs, avalanche debris or old tracks from yesterday. I was able to easily step through the crust on foot. East and west aspects have a slightly more breakable crust. True north managed to hang onto dry powder, and the snow is quite pleasant and relatively right side up.

I dug 2 pits in the Stevens Pass Zone, one on a northerly aspect and one on south-facing terrain. It was no surprise that the south-facing slope had a thick crust on the surface from the Easter sun, and there were several crusts down to the 4/8 layer. Snow that was falling while I dug was immediately blown off the crust by moderate winds. On the north, the snowpack is very different - I mainly found right-side up, well consolidated layers, aside from one hard-to-detect crust about 6 inches from the surface. I was in a more sheltered area, and snow was falling straight down, in addition to very small sluffs (loose dry avalanches) running down onto me from the steep, rocky area above.

In exposed areas winds were actively redistributing the snow, and despite the ~4-6 inches of low density snow found from the last few days still present on few aspects, new drifts up to 8 inches were found on small features and ridges. The drifts cracked and slid when I pushed on them. Where I traveled they were very minor and did not extend for more than a couple feet beneath the ridgeline.