Observation: Public

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Observations

An inch or two of new snow could be found in the surrounding environs of Mission Ridge on Monday. Although the wind had drifted it around into some slightly deeper drifts, I didn't find anything large enough for a wind slab. Under the new snow, old surfaces are variable depending on aspect and elevation. Soft and weakening surfaces made for some nice skiing on sheltered east and north-facing slopes.

The coverage is good in the Stemilt area, with snowpack depths ranging from about 100cm to 150cm. The weakest snow I found was in the 5,500ft elevation band, with a thinner snowpack that has continued to facet out. Some areas were so weak that I could punch through to the ground with a ski pole basket. The Mid-January crust can still be easily identified, and harbors weak snow underneath it. This layer bears watching with additional snowfall or warming events.

I observed an older, D2 avalanche that may have been triggered by a snowmachine in Owl Creek, just west of Mission Ridge Ski Area. This was at around 6,000ft on an east aspect, and I'd suspect the Mid-January crust as the weak layer.