Observation: NWAC Forecaster

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Weather Summary

Winds picked up around 11 am into the moderate range and kept surfaces from getting too wet and heavy.

Snowpack Observations

It could have easily been a day to bring running shoes instead of skis. There is enough snow on the road for skiing just above the trailhead, but bare patches abound along the way. Any slopes tilted to the south or west showed more dirt than snow.

Coverage was better above 3500ft, but still not robust enough to cover fallen logs and stumps. At these lower elevation, down valley locations, the snowpack has transitioned to spring and consists of consolidated rounded grains that have undergone numerous melt/freeze cycles. Coverage on the west aspect of Hex looked deeper, but expect significant travel on low snow/bare ground to get there.

Despite the wind, the south and west aspects softened just enough to ski a bit like corn snow, but any slopes in the shade or on more north and east aspects still held a crust when I exited around 1 PM.