Professional Observation
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
February 26, 2020Submitted:
February 26, 2020Observer:
SAC - Martin Stefan (off duty)Zone or Region:
Sawtooth and Western Smoky MtnsLocation:
Williams peak areaSigns of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
YesCracking?
None ExperiencedCollapsing?
None ExperiencedSnow Stability
Stability Rating:
Very GoodConfidence in Rating:
HighStability Trend:
SteadyBottom Line
Wet/loose was my main concern today, new snow from weekend's storm sluffed off on many steep and rocky features.
Advanced Information
Weather Summary
Cloud Cover:
Partly CloudyTemperature:
30s at highway, mid 20s est at elevationWind:
Light , WLess cloud coverage than expected, the sun did work on E->SW off and on all day. The snow from last storm was wet on sheltered SW was wet even above 10000'.
Snowpack Observations
Below approx 7500' SE there was a thin crust from yesterday. On NE FCsf is developing as expected.
Shadies were cool and dry all day, solars took a lot of heat as mentioned. Dribbles all over in Profile, both on E and S aspects. SE appeared to be mostly debris from warming rocks, the snow itself on this aspect was not crusty in the afternoon. S and SW got moist to wet.
8300' NE HS=320cm
Dug a quick 1m pit to check potential wind slab issues. Pack looks right side up, potentially some thin FCsf interface 10cm down but nothing reactive. ECTX
Avalanche Problems
| Problem | Location | Distribution | Sensitivity | Size | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wet Loose
|
|
Wet snow and lots of W/L activity |
Terrain Use
I avoided exposure to solar slopes.
Close