Widespread wind effected snow throughout our tour. Stubborn and unreactive to surface tests. No obvious glide cracks along our route or along visible portions of Pyramid Mt.
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Seattle Ridge - North
Anchorage Nordic Ski Patrol toured from approximately sea-level to 2000′ along the Northern end of Seattle Ridge. Our goal was 70% to get out in the sun and check out some new terrain and 30% to evaluate snow conditions in the lower elevation meadows and along the ridgeline. Hidden pockets of soft snow in wind sheltered areas with mostly supportable wind crust above tree line. Impressive rime on trees along the ridge.
Observer Comments
Weather
Valley fog with clear skies above. Mostly calm winds with intermittent gusts 5-10+ along ridgeline.
Snow surface
Widespread wind effected snow. Mostly supportable wind crust intermixed with breakable crust above tree line. Light density snow <1-2" on top of supportable crust in areas around trees with small surface hoar forming due to clear/cold skies. Hidden pockets of lovely power in isolated wind sheltered areas. Supper thin rain/freeze crust from the short-duration light rain event on 1/14/24. This thin rain crust was only observed in isolated areas above tree line. Icy conditions in denser forested areas upon approach.
Snowpack
No test pits. Ski pole tests throughout the tour indicated that wind crust was only a few inches thick in most areas with lighter density snow underneath. Hollow snow sounds heard in isolated areas. Ski jump tests on small rollovers and wind "rippled" cornices were moderate too hard to break through the wind crust, with no reactivity in surrounding snow (i.e. no shooting cracks).
Supportable crust above treeline
Thin breakable crust with very thin rain/freeze surface. Surface hoar formation.
Impressive, rimed trees along ridgeline.