Public Observation

Observation Details

Observations

Toured adjacent to Mammoth ski area and dug a pit to the ground on a NW 30deg treed slope at 9550’. HS 155cm. No cracks or whoomps observed (last one I experienced was Saturday). This is a protected area and not where one would expect windslabs to form. Most of the pack seemed well consolidated and pretty uniform. The M/F crust and basal facets were there at the bottom but only 15-20cm from the ground here.

I isolated an extended column to the ground and got ECTP20 on a density change in most recent storm snow 135cm up from ground/20cm down. It was a rough sticky shear. No results from the crust/facets at the bottom until levering the column over to fill in the pit.

2nd beautiful cold windless day in row. Skiing wasn’t particularly deep but tons of fun surfing around on a nice surface which included a lot of small surface hoar. Here BTL with 100+cm of consolidating snow underfoot, it was hard to imagine triggering the problem layer but possible in a thinner spot or convexity where the pack is under tension. Lower elevations or zones with less snow could be more of a risk. And of course ATL.

Signs of Unstable Snow