Observation: Turnagain

Location: Sunburst

Date:

February 12, 2020 8:21pm

Observer:

E. Roberts / R. Van Luit Forecaster

Route & General Observations

Standard uptrack

Parking was unplowed

Weather & Snow Characteristics

Please provide details to help us determine the weather and snowpack during the time this observation took place.

Weather

Low visibility
Temperatures in the 20's
Light snow all day
Light north wind only noticeable on ridge - not enough to be moving any ground snow around

Snow surface

We broke trail in 25cm (10") of new snow at all elevations.
We pushed through some drifted snow in leeward features, especially in the Alpine elevations. The drifted snow and storm snow had minimal cohesion.

Snowpack

Sunburst
Testpit#1 at 1900'
West aspect
Ski/Boot pen: 25cm/60cm
HS 120cm
ECTN
We found the NYE crust/facet combo intact ↓70cm

Testpit#2 at 2500'
Southwest aspect
Ski/Boot pen: 25cm/50cm
HS 200cm
ECTP21 ↓51cm
Propagation interface was 1-2mm decomposing stellars over 0.5mm mixed forms (rounding facets)

Photos & Video

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Breaking trail in 25cm of new snow

Propagation interface was 1-2mm decomposing stellars over 0.5mm mixed forms (rounding facets)

1-2mm decomposing stellars from testpit #2 propagation interface

0.5mm rounding facets from the testpit #2 propagation interface

Tough visibility but good riding quality.

120cm snowpack at 1900' on west aspect of Sunburst. Relatively poor structure, but no pertinent results from testing