Observation: Public

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Observations

Skies were overcast and temps fairly cool throughout the day until we finished around 1:30 pm; the only breaks in the clouds were around 9:30 am when we left the trailhead. A thick breakable surface crust (~3-4 cm) was on SW/S aspects, especially in open sun-exposed areas, which contained some graupel. About 10-20 cm of dry unconsolidated snow lay between this and the 3/22 interface. We didn't see any new signs of warming or wind-loading; there were old roller balls/signs of wet loose activity beneath the bases of rocks/cliffs, presumably from the warm weather prior to the latest storm. Did a quick hand pit at 4500' on E aspect in which the surface crust, new snow and 3/22 interface were all slightly better bonded than the S/SW aspects we skinned up. We descended the NW aspect of Kendall Knob where the surface crust was mostly absent and there was just the 20 cm of dry snow above the 3/22 interface. From ~4700' to 4200' the snow was bonded fairly well to the crust below. However, closer towards Commonwealth from ~4200' to 3800' the snow was bonded more poorly; we made a few turns that caused some harmless dry loose sluffs over hard ice where the terrain was about 30-35 deg.