Skies were overcast
Winds were moderate from the N.
Temps were in the 30Fs and rose through the day.
No precipitation
Observation: Summit
Location: Tenderfoot
Toured the standard up track to 3000′ on Tenderfoot. The tour was early in the day and missed most of the major heat up. When we drove back through Turngain Pass the warm-up was in full effect. The sun was shining, there was water reflecting in the snowpack, wet loose activity and glide avalanches that had released during the time we were In Summit. However I believe the freeze the night before and the wind throughout the day kept the snow surface cooler and minimized the wet loose avalanches.
Weather
Snow surface
1200'-3000' had a supportable crust in the morning. When we skied down it was softening around 1800' and it was getting punchy below 1400'. We were traveling on predominately westerly aspects.
Boot pen from 2500-3000' was 10-20 cm.
Snowpack
We dug a pit at 3000' on a WNW aspect, 25 degrees. The pit was 100 cm deep. There was a 10 cm crust at the surface with 20 cm of dry snow below. This was resting on a 5 cm melt freeze crust. Just above the lower crust there was a layer of decomposing precipitation particles that was reactive in compression tests CT 15 RP, CT 20 RP but not in the ECT. The snow below the crust was right side up and bonded to the crust.
Glide avalanche Seattle Ridge 3.31
Sunshine and water in the snowpack 3.31
Southerly slopes melted out
Corniced ridge line above Butcher Creek
Surface crust @ 3000' Tenderfoot W aspect
Pit @ 3000'
Refrozen wet loose activity from earlier in the week.
Example of Summit Lake glide activity
Cloud cover and surface conditions