Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 02/04/2018
Name: Evan Ross
Subject: Mostly Weak Snowpack
Aspect: North East, East
Elevation: 9,000 to 11,300ft
Avalanches:
Weather: Partly cloudy sky in the morning became overcast. Moderate westerly wind gusts at ridgeline otherwise calm winds at lower elevations.
Snowpack: Quick and easy to assess snowpack structure just feeling around. The snowpack was weak and lacked any PS structure. Warm temps from the past week have helped settle the upper snowpack and keep the facet sluffing in check. Below 10,000ft a 1 to 3cm surface crust was fairly widespread. Above 10,000ft that crust was confined to easterly facing slopes. HS was mostly in the 60 to 80cm range.
Found one pocket at ridgeline with obvious PS structure. HS was 95cm. Mostly a 4f- decaying slab sitting on F depth hoar. ECTX. CTM SC on the DH. Moving 15ft across the slope and the PS structure disappeared. It also disappeared shortly below the ridge.
Photos:
NNE aspect, 11,300ft. HS 95. Mostly a 4F- decaying slab sitting on F depth hoar. ECTX. CTM SC on the DH.