Professional Observation

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Key Points

Will cross post this here as well as on BAC.

Skied in the northern Sawtooth Range over the past few days, going in Little Slide Canyon and coming out Blacksmith Creek (departed early due to gear failure and weather impacts to the tour itinerary)

• BTL – solars and low angle slopes are undergoing a melt freeze cycle and are transitioning. Not enough new snow to affect these elevations. Northern aspects have a breakable sun crust over facets, creating very challenging downhill skiing conditions.
• NTL – a mixture of very firm windboard/old wind slab that had surface facets forming on top, at least before this last wind event.
• ATL – firm windboard, old wind slab, faceted snow with a sometimes supportable crust (unsupportable for booting), sastrugi, and brief patches of faceted surface snow made for a real grab-bag of ski condition in the alpine.

Winds last night and into today were stronger than forecast, with 4-8cm of HST falling. Shallow wind slabs were forming, reactive to ski cuts on small slopes NTL, no deeper than 20cm thick, and only displaying local propagation.

Did not have the time to stop and dig to track the presence of the PWLs in the northern zone.