Observation: Public

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Observations

Weather wise, Monday was characterized by increasing easterly winds during afternoon hours and surprisingly heavy periods of precipitation, with about 2-4 in of snow accumulating by end the end of the tour.
Snowpack wise, I did observe several collapses and cracking throughout my tour. The height of snow greatly varied by aspect. On E and NE aspects I found anywhere from 110-120 cm and on more southerly aspects I found 80-90 cm of snow. I dug a study profile on a NE aspect and found 110 cm of snow with several layers, one of which had facets on a layer of melt forms from Nov 12th . This layer was located approximately 70 cm down in this location. See attached profile for more detailed info. I also dug on a SW aspect and found a shallower snowpack of 90 cm and found this weak layer as well. As the day progressed, I also observed wind loading and reactive snow in areas of wind drifted snow. Rocks and downed trees are not deeply buried yet.