Observation: NWAC Forecaster

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Weather Summary

Light snow showers most of the day with increasing winds which were especially gusty near ridgeline. A few very small breaks in the action allowed for some limited views around the valley.

Avalanche Observation Comments:

No new avalanches were observed. Old wet debris was spotted on many slopes.

Snowpack Observations

The new snow was starting to cover up a variety of surfaces which depended on previous exposure to wind or sunshine. I found wind-board, old Wind Slab, settled powder, breakable sun crust, firm icy crusts, and many spots that were some combination of these. There was not enough new snow to adequately rate the new bond.

On and near ridgelines, the wind was easily moving snow onto leeward slopes, building out cornices and creating fresh drifts. I jumped on a few rolls and got some isolated cracking, but no Wind Slabs as of yet. Speaking of cornices, there are some large ones out there and in some spots they were on both sides of the ridge due to this week's E wind event.

Digging at 6000' on a northerly aspect, I found a generally right-side-up and well-settled upper snowpack. There was a buried layer of wind-stiffened snow a few cms below the surface and the same interface that I was questioning last week in a different area of the Crystal zone was again showing up in snowpack tests. There continues to be lingering surface hoar at this interface.