Observation: NWAC Forecaster

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Weather Summary

Moderate to heavy snowfall first thing in the morning gave way to a more showery pattern throughout the day. These snow showers were moderate at times. Temperatures noticeably increased throughout the morning.

Avalanche Observation Comments:

A widespread small natural cycle occurred during the height of precip intensities this morning. It appears as if almost every convex feature in the valley produced soft slabs that failed ~6-8" deep, sometimes the width of the feature. It was easy to spot recent avalanche activity even during the drive along the Alpental road or once we hit the parking lot before we even stepped into avalanche terrain. As intensities dropped later in the morning, it appeared as if the natural slab cycle subsided and we were left with lots of new storm snow to manage in terms of dry loose or human-triggered slabs on convexities. Heard at least one larger avalanche come down sometime around 9:30-10:00. ATL was not observed.

Snowpack Observations

The latest storm really delivered for Snoqualmie Pass with ~2 feet (60-70cm) of new snow in most places measured. This snow was very low density in the morning but had just enough slab character to produce the widespread natural cycle described above. At the top of Big Trees, I probed the 4/8 crust at 68cm and the Early April Crust at 102cm. The ATL was not observed due to the ferocity of the storm, but snow depths should be even more impressive. As we exited the field around 1:00pm, the uppermost snow was a bit heavier due to the warmer temperatures, making things a bit upside down.