No signs of instability
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Tincan to 3500'
Normal uptrack to Common bowl. Skied near skin track due to poor visibility.
Mapped surface conditions and crust layer in anticipation of precipitation in the coming days.
Observer Comments
Weather
Lightly snowing
Winds 10-15mph on ridge
25F
Snow surface
About 2" of new snow has fallen in the last 24hours. This new snow was covering 4-6" faceted snow that can be found at all elevations and aspects on Tincan and is very widespread. Along ridgetops a 1F hard wind layer (2") can be found, mostly on Northern aspects. On Southern aspects the faceted snow was still very protected.
Snowpack
Focused on the crust layer below the near surface facets.
1000' - 4" of faceted snow sits on a Knife hard crust
2000' - 6" of faceting snow sits on a Knife hard crust
2500' - 6" of faceting snow sits on 2" of denser snow on top of a Pencil hard melt/freeze crust
*Probed between 2600 - 2700' - the crust layer becomes very thin, only a cm and disappears by 2700'. There was roughly 12-17" of snow on this crust layer with the upper 6" mostly faceting out.
Dug a pit at 2800' on a West aspect. HS=105cm, Found a mostly uniform snowpack. Moist rounding facets were found on the ground. The only concerning density change was in the top 6". A 1F hard wind layer was found 6" below the surface with 4F hard faceting snow above and below. Informal test: Shovel tilt test - easy to moderate force was applied and failure occurred at this density change.
*Buried surface hoar was found along the ridge 2850' under 2" of new stellar flakes. They were sitting on the facet layer and were difficult to identify now that they are covered.
Visibility was limited today with a brief period of good light.
Recent wind layer along the surface of the Upper Tincan Ridge at 3500' on a Northern aspect
2" of new snow was observed on Tincan today