SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: I am fascinated by this snowpack at the moment.  Clearly it is faceting quickly.  Average HS was 100cm and ski pen while skinning was anywhere from 15cm to 50cm+.  Ski pen while descending was more like 20cm through dry, fast facets.  We had significant signs of instability on all three runs.  Whumpfing and collapsing on everything from the flats to 35º slopes.  I made a big, forceful turn on a convex rollover and we got a big whumpf, but nothing moved.  Is the slab faceting and loosing cohesion, but the buried surface hoar still reacts?  After guiding at tree line and below tree line for eight out of the past ten days, I have seen the signs of instability increase each day.  Yet I feel like it would be really difficult to trigger a slide.  (This says nothing of larger, alpine features.  I have no observations.)

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: Traveled primarily in low angle terrain in valley bottom.  Noticed large collapses, and cracks traveling upwards of 100ft, primarily in areas that were more north facing and wind affected.  Although a ECT on E aspect showed no result, and in this particular spot the midpack seemed to be interfacing well with the December 13th layer.  Thin crust found on more southerly and steeper aspects.  Intact buried surface hoar found near the surface on all aspects.  On northern aspects the midpack had deteriorated to points where ski penetration was over 75% of the snowpack. Small natural avalanche seen on S, SE aspect below the Gothic Spoon.

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: Travel on N and NW aspects near and below tree line on slopes around 35* produced lots of widespread collapsing and cracking. Snow profiles showed an HS of 107 cm in valley floor and 150cm at 11,000′. Snowpack structure was 30-60 cms of soft snow (F & 4F) overlying a 20-40 cm thick 1F hard persistent slab over depth hoar. Test results produced repeatable moderate CT failures with sudden collapse failure character at the Dec 13 interface 1-1.5 M deep and again at the ground level. (See pic below).  Other skiers in the zone reported skier triggering a small slab on a steep convex roll on N facing terrain about 60cms deep size D1-

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: HS 40cm – 100cm, depending on aspect and elevation.  Surface mostly surface facets at all elevations and aspects.  Ski pen 10cm; but would go to 50 cm (full depth) in shallow areas around aspen trees.  Multiple signs of instabilities – large whumpfing and shooting cracks – all in shallow areas, mostly on west aspects.  It feels to me like the slab is deteriorating, but this is making it easier to effect the weak layer.  But nothing really happens because the slab is barely hanging on.  This is just a “feeling” – not much science behind it.

WEATHER: Clear. cold at TH in am (5F), warm in sun. No wind until about 1030 am. Light but steady and cold out of North.

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: About 10-15cm new snow from yesterday. very light and low density and no wind transport was obvious. resting on stout crusts on southerly slopes 30* or steeper, but bonding seems to be good. Surface storm snow thickening and heating up on steep south slopes by mid-day. 2 small but noticeable collapses felt while traveling on a shallow snowpack zone on ridgecrest near treeline. No other instabilities seen while traveling on slopes >35*.

WEATHER: Overcast through most of day. Snowing S1 with periods of S3. Calm winds.

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: 20cm storm snow with no wind. Preserved surface hoar layer found below the new snow but finding it non-reactive to quick informal stability tests. An instability was found in the top 5-10cm of the snowpack at what was seeming to be a slight density change in the recent storm snow, as it got heavier with rising daytime temps during the storm today. Minimal problem now…worth re-visiting at it gets buried deeper. Triggered 2 small (D1) loose snow slides on steep low elevation terrain features with convex rollovers, as expected. No other instabilities seen.

GUIDE(S): Scott
DATE: 01/12/2015
ACTIVITY: Ski touring
LOCATION: Anthracite Mesa/ Coneys
ELEVATION: 9,500 to 11,000
ASPECT: NE-E

WEATHER: Temps in the 20’s. Cloud ceiling of 10,500 at the trailhead, gradually rising throughout the day. Sun visible around noon, and remaining until 3. Winds calm to light throughout the afternoon.

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: 3cm buried surface hoar layer found at all aspects and elevations where I dug including ridge top. ECT near ridgetop provided no result on the December 13th layer 80cm below the surface. HST was between 10-15cm depending on elevation, no evidence of wind transport.

GUIDE(S): Donny
DATE: 15-01-12
ACTIVITY: Ski touring
LOCATION: Snodgrass
ELEVATION: 9,600’ to 11,150′
ASPECT: SE-S-SW-W-NW

WEATHER: Mostly cloudy, no precip, calm and warm.  It was “Africa hot” in Wash Gulch as we toured out – a product of a greenhouse effect, I would guess.

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: 4” of new snow from yesterday (maximum).  We skied the west aspect of Snodgrass down to Wash Gulch.  We had no signs of instabilities.  The ski pen was 20 to 40 cm.  The 12/13 interface could not be felt in the shaded areas.

Recent Observations: New Interface is the Jan 11th Interface and the new snow is falling on mostly crusts, Near Surface facets and Surface Hoar. This will be a one to watch especially as slabs build. Jan 3rd interface visible in profile but not reactive to column tests.

East: Evidence of more SW winds with no slab forming yet. 3‐6” of new unconsolidated snow on mostly supportive crust. Descent bonding with minimal sluffing.

West: Sluffing moving medium speeds w/ Oswald going full track not a lot of mass. See attached profile from JB Jungle

File Upload: Snow Profile