Professional Observation

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Snow Stability

Key Points

I went for a quick tour from Mill City to the Sherwin ridge today and man, it is nice to see snow on the ground so early in the season!

Coverage measured throughout my tour seemed to average between 70 and 100 cm and the deepest measurements approaching 200 cm in leeward catchment zones along the ridge.

There were obvious signs of recent wind slab activity along the ridge that likely occurred during or immediately following the big storm earlier this week.  Muted debris piles and crown lines were visible in mammoth rock bowl, and along the ridge to the main avy path.

Overall, the snow is still unconsolidated but there has been some obvious settlement in the mid to lower pack. Ski pen was about 30 cm while Boot pen was to the ground.

I dug two holes today. The first quick pit along the ridge in an obvious catchment zone to get a n eye on recent loading. I found 200 cm here with 25 cm of 1F wind deposit on top of 4 finger snow below. Stability test highlighted the density change as concerning but I suspect without further load these deposits are on a healing trend. (CT 11 ECTN14)

my second pit was in a less wind affected area and I found a very right-side up snowpack. Transitioning from fist to 1 finger in hardness from the surface (98 cm) to about 12 cm off the ground where I found a rain crust at the bottom of the pack. Stability tests did not highlight anything concerning here. (ECTX)

I noted some surface hoar growth at various locations, but it seemed very isolated in distribution thus far.  

My biggest takeaway today was that coverage remains thin, I found my fair share of buried obstacles (mostly ptex hungry rocks) on the way up and down today.