Professional Observation

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Snow Stability

Key Points

• I left mill city this afternoon to get an idea of new snow totals and to see if I could find any areas with substantial wind deposition.
• Snow began in earnest around 1030 this morning right around the time the winds shifted to the north. Snow totals felt minimal on my tour today, measuring 1-1.5 inches on average.
• Snowfall rates remained S-1 for the most part with periods of S-2
• I found several areas with thin deposits, ~4″ or so with the deepest drift measured at 6″ in an isolated area near a rock outcropping. Only minor cracking was observed and I was not able to find any consequential wind slab development. It is worth noting that I was on a NE aspect and I would be more concerned on southerly aspects after today’s storm.
• With continued snow and wind I would suspect Wind slabs to become larger in size and more specific in distribution, however, I observed no signs of instability on my tour today. the largest hazard I experienced today was firm and variable dust on crust conditions.