| Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | No |
Observation: Summit
Location: Tenderfoot
APU Snow Science field day at Summit to observe little less reactive persistent layers. Overall, quite nice day outside with pleasant skiing.
Obvious signs of instability
Weather
Overcast in the morning, clouds thinning with partial sun in the afternoon.
Temps hovering around freezing or just above.
Light snow most of the day with 1-3 cm of new accumulation on skin track when skied back to the van.
Calm winds.
Snow surface
5-10 cm of new powder on top of very supportable crust.
Some of the new precipitation was beautiful plates and capped columns!
Snow surface warming was relevant only at the lowest elevation.
We did not see any new wind impact on surface snow on our tour up to 3000'.
Skiing was surprisingly good especially in lower northerly elevations; at higher elevations dust on crust.
Snowpack
We dug seven pits on N & NW aspects at 2600' on slopes varying from 28-34deg. HS in pits varied from 245cm on more wind loaded zones to 85cm at a wind scoured pit location.
Overall good snow stability with no exciting test results. Tired looking buried surface hoar was found 45 cm down from the top in half of the pits. Majority of the pits were not dug to the ground so no real consensus on the status of the facets below the New Year's crust.
Old crown filled with new snow transport, 3000' N aspect of Tenderfoot Ridgeline. It had gone partially to the ground at the starting zone. Debris run few hundred yards down. Maybe from 3/25 cycle? Photo:Ayla Crosby
Well, hello you unicorns of the precipitation particles! Memorable snow fall with tiny capped columns and delicate plates. Photo:Ayla Crosby
Light improved at the end of the tour. Most of the day was overcast with low light. Photo:Ayla Crosby