Professional Observation

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Snow Stability

Key Points

Not a ton to report from today’s tour in the lake’s basin. We have shifted firmly into a diurnal cycle where low danger exists in the morning and hazard rises throughout the day as the sun and warm temperatures loosen surface snow.

Notably, I found things warmed up more quickly today than they have over the last couple of days.

Dropping onto a Se aspect from 11,000’ at 10:00 am this morning was just about perfect to find pleasant corn skiing and to avoid the inevitable unconsolidated mess that probably accrued this afternoon. 11 k-9 k 2-4 cm of moist grains on top of a stiff melt-freeze crust. Below 9 k the things were more sticky and slower-moving with 5-7 cm of moist grains on top of a supportable MF crust.

The largest hazard encountered today was the diminishing coverage. lower elevations and exposed areas with south to west aspects are very thin or completely dry. While sliding was possible down to twin lakes today coverage is minimal, and travel is difficult. Coverage averages between 20-60 cm, plenty of tree debris litter the ground, fallen trees are exposed and require thinking a couple of steps ahead and plenty of areas of dry ground are present to interrupt fall line wiggles.

No signs of instability were observed on my tour today although I was down and out of avalanche terrain by 11 am.