No obvious signs of current instability. No slab movement on steeper rollovers, no shooting cracks or whumpfing. Slabs avalanches from the storm observed on Seattle Ridge (see ob from 12.20.18) and on Tincan above skin track at 2200' and off of CFR ridge.
No mid-storm instabilities evident with hand pits or in snow pit.
Interesting cracking in the snowpack observed all the way from 1000' to 2300'. New snow sagging or creeping faster than the snow below. Looks like baby glide cracks.
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Tincan
Standard uptrack to 2300′. Checking out how the snowpack is adjusting to the snow load from 12.19-20 storm. Continuing to track the facet/crusts near the base of the snowpack in mid-elevation terrain
Observer Comments
Weather
Overcast with periods of broken skies
No precipitation
Temperatures in the 20Fs
Calm winds
Snow surface
Soft snow: 3-4' of settled new snow
Minor wind effect observed around Treeline. Looks more pronounced in the Alpine
Snowpack
Boot pen... full leg
HS @ 1000': 135 cm. 120 down to melt-freeze crust. Ski pen 30 cm
HS @ 1600': 165 cm. 125 down to melt-freeze crust. Ski pen 40 cm
HS @ 2100' 190 cm. 165 down to melt-freeze crust. Ski pen 50 cm
Pit @ 2200' south aspect, 20 degree slope, HS: 205. 195 cm down crust and facets combo: two layers at the base of snowpack. Crust/facet combo inconsistent hardness on observation wall and in stability tests across pit. Too deep for ECT and not uniform enough for PST. See photo. Stability tests produced no results. No mid-storm or storm interface instabilities observed.
Cracking/sagging along the uptrack
Pit @ 2200'
Cracking below Beaded Steam wx station
Storm slab above ski track @ 2200'
Crowns on CFR
More cracks observed on the way down.