No red flags observed today.
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Sunburst
Standard uptrack to 3200′ on Sunburst west ridge. 8-12″ low density snow on surface made for exceptional skiing. Semi supportable rain crust from 12/31 (pre cold front) disappears above 2400′. Was a busy day in the backcountry with smiles all around!
Observer Comments
Weather
-3F leaving the parking lot at 1100 this morning. Warmed slightly thru the day to 9 above at 3pm. Winds were very light all day. Some instability showers produced about an inch of snow throughout the daylight hours.
Snow surface
8-12" low density powder over a semi- supportable melt freeze crust from 12/31(pre cold front). Crust disappears above about 2400' where 10-12" new snow sits on P+/ 1F slab.
Snowpack
Pit#1: 2260', west aspect, 22 deg slope. HS: 140cm. HN: 30cm.
ECTN12,16 below rain crust. Found solstice buried surface hoar down 60cm but not reactive. Note: rain crust is 3-4" thick. Moist snow below.
Pit #2: 3160', SW aspect, 28 deg slope. HS235cm, HN: 35cm.
ECTN26, ECTP24, 25 on solstice buried surface hoar down 60cm. We found the BSH in all our pits we dug but were getting mixed results in terms of reactivity. Where it did show energy to propagate, it took significant energy (4 and 5 taps from shoulder) to get it to react.
NYE storm snow settlement at 1500' on Sunburst.
~8" low density snow and eager skiers made for a highway of a skin track on Sunburst today.
Snowpit #1, 2,260'.
Rain runnels barely visible under NYE storm snow.
Snowpit # 2.
Lots of folks out enjoying the early 2020 storm snow!
Accidental discharge in the snowpit, providing Aleph some confidence in her gear! : )
High quality powder skiing!