Public Field Report

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Observations

Weather: Snowing and blowing all day. Temps rose from the teens F to the mid-20s F while we were out this afternoon.

Cracking and collapsing: isolated cracking, up to about 40 feet in one location. The shorter crack distances were probably due to the discontinuity in the drifts/slabs. Very limited collapsing, and only on mid storm layers and at/just below the storm snow/old snow interface. We were in previously heavily traveled areas though, so I took the lack of bigger/deeper collapses with a grain of salt (the Dec 11 weak layer had likely collapsed earlier this year where we traveled).

E-SE-S-SW aspects 8250-9400': lots of wind-effect, widespread scallops and dunes on the surface, varying stiffness in drifts. Hard to say how much storm snow, but we were traveling in mostly 16-20"' of settled new snow and deeper drifts. Multiple softer/stiffer layers within the new snow, but did not see any impressively weak shears or failure planes in the storm snow.

We avoided all avalanche terrain and saw nothing to change our minds while we were out. Snow was too deep+stiff to ski for the most part, assuming you didn't get into >30 degree terrain.