Professional Observation

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Snow Stability

Key Points

• It hasn’t snowed in over 3 weeks and it’s been warm and at points quite windy. Overall, the skiing quality has continued to drop and touring has become more and more impactful with firm and variable conditions.  Although sunny conditions and periods of calm wind have provided spring like conditions in a few isolated southerly spots over the past few weeks, the vast majority of snow surfaces in the backcountry is challenging, variable, and not that much fun, but as always one repeatedly can say in sunny California… “Well, it was a good adventure, and besides it was a beautiful day out”.  When it gets cooler, cloudier and windy though it makes it an extra challenge, as today presented.
• Besides the gloom and doom, if you hunt deep enough, you’ll find something good somewhere, that’s the beauty of skiing/riding. North facing sheltered trees, where not tree-bombed out still provide some non-impactful entertainment in the form of faceted surfaces which are wispy and enjoyable to travel upon. Much of the snow surface in the trees though has been shed on by falling and melting snow from the tree canopy, larger tree bombs and temperature crusts have developed with the residing warm temperatures that have resided the past few weeks.
• Avalanche conditions are null and void at this point and before it snows again, we’ll have to start digging in a bit more to get a better feeling for what a new load will fall on or impact at that point. Still looks to be a way’s out though before anything meaningful in the form of a storm hits us.  Thus far it has been the driest January on record for Reno and we have only seen a few sporadic flakes if anything the whole month.
• Basically, at this point though the snow pack is very stable, diminishing daily through heat, wind and settlement and is devoid of energy. I got a few light surface faceted sluffs on turns in steeper 40deg terrain in north facing trees which was fun, but not hazardous.
• North winds were really starting to pick up mid afternoon up high and significant stripping and blowing of snow could be seen on the highest parts of the Crest behind Bishop in the Evolution Peaks area, Mt Goode etc.
• Cooler overall today, 31degF @ 1100am this morning @ 8500ft and 30mph north wind at that point in the day.