Professional Observation

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Key Points

With a more limited timeframe than anticipated this morning, gave up on Sierra big game hunting to ski closer to home and toured to 10,900′ (just below Crest) in the TJ area.

Temps were balmy but light winds kept surfaces fairly cool, although anything flat or solar-tilting was getting moist and sticky BTL. TL and ALP had less pronounced sun crust from yesterday’s warmup, at least on the aspects traveled over.

The effects of the North winds are evident above 10,000 in ALP terrain, where slopes are intermittently wind loaded or scoured down to old windboard or wind slabs. CT results failed down 15-20cm though were resistant and of rough shear quality. Cracking was very localized. With the exception of isolated wind affected surfaces, the predominant theme is settling storm snow. One very small loose wet originating in cliffs in S facing BTL terrain, no signs of instability noted.