Started out with high overcast and 31F with moderate wind gusts in unsheltered areas. By the end of the tour at 2110, temp was 28F ; the ceilings lowered; and 5 minutes later it was snowing steadily.
Observation: Chugach State Park
Location: Glen Alps - Flattop northerly low elevation
Quick evening tour to see changes in the sheltered areas on the N side of flattop. Skied N and W faces in the area.
Weather
Snow surface
Surface conditions varied from hardpack where winds had removed the new snow to sun condensed new snow and several centimeters of dry snow in shaded and sheltered areas.
Snowpack
Dug a quick pit adjacent to yesterday's (61 5.7440N, -149 40.2622W) to see how snowpack conditions changed. Focused on the layers that failed yesterday and had test scores of ECTN12 Q3 and ECTN22 Q3 on the Saturday and Friday storm layers respectively. So still failing, but taking a little more effort and no propagation in the most sheltered areas.
Where yesterday there was buttery soft powder on shaded northerly slopes, today was stiffer/denser. There were signs of winds starting additional thin wind slabs and sastrugi.
Westerly slopes had more sun affect and were moving toward breakable crust.