Observation: NWAC Forecaster

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Weather Summary

High clouds filtered enough sun to melt surfaces of east aspects. Not a puff of wind. The overnight snow level was ~3,800ft.

Avalanche Observation Comments:

Numerous wet loose avalanches, size D1, mostly from 3/16-17 on steep E aspects as high as 5,600ft. A few very small slides may have occurred today, but hard to tell.

Snowpack Observations

Snowpack is significantly different below 4,000ft vs above 5,000ft. Lower elevations are shallow and melted out. Southerly aspects have lots of bare patches, especially east of Mill Creek. Snowpack at these elevations consist of mostly large melt forms, often moist and not frozen.

On northerly aspects above 5,500ft, we found the 3/8 facets resting on the stout, yet airy, early March crust with propagating snowpack tests at one profile site. We got predictable, wide cracking around 5,900ft, NNE on features that were previously wind-loaded on 3/15. Cracks were 25-45cm deep, down to the 3/8 facets and the snowpack structure was similar to where we found propagation in ECT.

Profile, 4,820ft, NNE
HS 275cm, HST 5cm
March 8th layer was previously wetted and the layer shows up as small melt forms and rounds. No facets observed at this location.

Profile 5,700, N, 26deg
HS 320cm, HST 9cm
Tilt test and ECTN ↓27cm on 3/15 mid-storm interface
ECTP21 ↓50cm on 1.0mm FCsf, March 8th facets
See profile graph image