10:00 am- valley fog, no wind, no precip
11:35 am- above valley fog, broken skies, no wind, no precip
12:30 pm- valley fog dissipates, broken skies, light wind
1:00 pm- broken skies, light wind
Observation: Chugach State Park
Location: South Fork of Eagle River
Standard up track to North Bowl to look at weak layers. We found some concerning snowpit test results on the faceted layer at the base of the snowpack.
Weather
Snow surface
The snow surface was wind-affected by both scoured and wind-loaded areas. We did find a rain crust at lower elevations that dissipated around 3,500'. Above 3,500' we found a thin layer of rimed precip particles.
Snowpack
Snow depths ranged greatly on our tour. We observed bare ground to over 4 feet in wind-deposited locations.
Snowpit Info:
Height of snowpack: 120cm
Location: South Fork of Eagle River
Elevation: 3,900'
Aspect: NW
Slope: 29 degrees
Test Results: We observed propagation (showing poor stability) on the facets at the base of the snow pack (ECTP12). This is concerning to us as it shows the snowpack could produce a large avalanche.
Raincrust on snow surface that ended around 3,500'
Snowpit with test results
Thin layer of rimed surface particles above 3,500'
Peter setting a skin track up through the valley fog
View of a wind scoured North Bowl
View across the valley of Harp Mountain and Three Bowls
Faceted snow grain at base of snowpack