Observation: NWAC Forecaster

All Observations

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
March 22, 2022
Submitted:
March 22, 2022
Observer:
NWAC Forecaster - Katie Warren
Zone or Region:
East Central
Location:
Dirtyface (2200-5200ft)

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
None Observed
Cracking? 
None Experienced
Collapsing? 
None Experienced

Media/Attachments

Only 4-6 inches of recent snow rests on the early march crust and even on steeper slopes, it was difficult to get more than just rollerballs moving down hill.
While supportable to skis and snowmobiles, you could sink into the moist snow 30-40cm while on foot.
After clearing the lower cloud deck, we enjoyed partly cloudy skies that held but the worst of the warm temperatures the strong sun would have brought.
Snow profile at 5200ft on an east aspect showed an upper pack with various layers of crusts, rounds, and melt forms.
On a northern aspect, I could identify a density change over the early march crust. While these were likely facets at one point, it is now difficult to discern them from rounded grains.

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Mostly Cloudy
Temperature:
40°F
Wind:
Calm
New/Recent Snowfall:
Approximately 4-5 inches of recent snow over the early March crust on an east aspect and 6-7 inches on a northwest aspect.

Felt like a late spring day with very warm temperatures and calm wind. We transitioned out of a low cloud bank at around 4000ft, and partly clear skies with some light high cloud cover helped keep things a bit cooler than anticipated.

Snowpack Observations

We parked the snowmobiles at 4200ft and traveled up eastern aspects to around 5200ft. Surfaces were supportable to skis and snowmobiles. However, we found boot penetration around 30-40cm into the moist snow in many places.

Depending on the aspect, 4-7 inches of more recent snow is on top of the early March crust. This recent snow is moist and rounding but hasn't entirely made the transition to what I would call corn, and it created slightly slow and sticky conditions for skiing. We could get rollerballs moving along with some surface snow. However, these miniature wet loose avalanches remained superficial and entrained little to no additional snow as they moved downslope.

I could not decern any facets on the top of the crust on eastern aspects. If they existed at one point, they have rounded and now blend in with either the crust or the more recent snow. In contrast, I could find a slight density change over the crust on a northwest aspect that likely represents the March 8th facets, but they are moist, rounded, and would be difficult to ID as anything but rounded grains currently.

Digging into the snowpack at about 5200ft, just below the ridge, we found an upper pack consisting of layers of melt-forms of various hardness. There were few remarkable layers to report, and I found nothing concerning below the surface snow. But, interestingly, there was a layer of dry, rounded grains ↓28cm and weak large rounded polycrystals ↓80cm. This varied layering shows the snowpack hasn't made the complete transition to a consolidated and consistent spring pack.

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