Observation: Public

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Observations

We toured to 5450' below Tronsen Head. We saw no natural or human-triggered avalanches, woomphing or shooting cracks. Upper snow pack was moist and forming rollerballs though not cohesive. Overcast skies in the morning transitioned to brief periods of light snow after noon. Southerly winds increased during the day with wind transport seen on ridge lines in the afternoon. A partner who was out in the same zone yesterday found a similarly unreactive snowpack, though snow quality was reportedly dryer.

A test profile on a 20-deg., NW-facing slope at 5460' produced Q1 and Q2 results down 50 cm on two compression tests. No propagation in an ECT. Results were below the 1/14 crust, which was 40 cm down and about 12 cm thick.