Observation: Public

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Observations

Skied S and SSW aspects along Vista Ridge between 6200' and 5600'. There was about 6-8" of snow above the melt-freeze crust formed Wednesday 1/6. Travel tests and compression tests showed easy failures within this recent snow, but failures did not show propensity to propagate on test slopes or with extended column tests.
Pictures show:
Visible wind effect on the snow surface, but the snow was soft and skied well at this elevation.
2 melt freeze crusts are obvious in the upper snowpack. All column test results were in the snow above the most recent crust (1/6). The crust below that formed Sunday night (1/3).

No instability was noticed on E/SE facing slopes between 5-6000'.