Weather was very pleasant with light winds for most of the day.
16 Mile parking lot @9:30am clear sky, Light east wind, 17° F, no precipitation
Top of 4096' @11:00am clear sky, light east wind, 20° F, no precipitation
Bottom of wimp bowl 3290' @11:30, clear sky, light east wind, 20°F, no precipitation
Observation: Hatcher Pass
Location: Wimp Bowl
Toured up wimp bowl to get an idea of surface conditions before the storm, and to see how far down facets from last week are buried.
Weather
Snow surface
Snow surfaces were a mixed bag today. At the mid elevation band low density snow was plentiful, and was unaffected by the wind. As we toured higher wind pressed snow, and old wind slab could be found. On south facing slopes a slick, stout crust was promenient and exposed in some areas. On lower angel terrain, crusts were not felt when riding.
Snowpack
Wimp Bowl 3290'
SE 25° HS 55
ECTN12 below crust @ 20cm
CT12 SC below crust @20cm
The snowpack in the location we dug had poor structure, moderate strength, and poor propagation propensity. Basal facets at the ground and facets near a crust 35cm from the surface seem to be the most concerning layer in the snowpack. While the tests showed poor propagation, its reasonable to assume that any weather event that creates a more cohesive slab will not be good for stability. See photo below for more details
some evidence of wind transport
sunday mornings snow seemed to give a little bit of refresh for riding conditions
Some striation can be seen a few grains
IMG_6652
Decomposing snow with a lonely piece of surface hoar