Avalanches: New snow instabilities were the only problem observed. Sluffs certain on steep slopes near 40 degrees big enough to push you into unwanted hazards but not burry you.
Weather: cooler temps then previous day, overcast sky, on and off light snow showers. Not much for winds observed, but in thick timber most of the day.
Snowpack: Below any wind loaded areas there was about 4″ new over most recent dust layer (3/24). A soft crust was felt on yesterdays snow surface on low angled slopes near valley bottoms and on the only NE aspect observed at 11,600. Other more northerly slopes stayed dry. Once just below the ridgeline and onto all the slopes that previously avalanched back in late January, the snowpack had little structure, with mostly the same hardness throughout consisting of some form of rounding faceted particles. Quick obs didn’t reveal any concerning persistent slab structure. You could more likely find this structure on the very few parts of the slopes that hadn’t avalanched or maybe areas that have seen more wind loading in the last mouth (like in this ob). Once into the start zones boot pen was often to the ground when you broke through and old inch or two firm layer just below the new snow.

Avalanches: Long running Loose Dry avalanches running in Wednesday’s storm snow. These avalanches would entrain all of the storm snow and the latest dust layer would be visible on the surface. Loose Dry avalanches are not big enough to bury a person but could easily knock someone off of their feet.
No other avalanches, cracking, or collapsing observed.
Weather: Overcast with mostly light snow showers but a few bands of snow that were S2 (a little less than an inch an hour). Although it was windy on the road there was no wind near and below treeline. Temperatures were cooler today in the low-twenties.
Snowpack: All aspects have a surface crust from yesterday’s sun except for northwest to northeast. Northerly aspects that are near treeline have a faceted layer that is buried 2 feet down. An extended column test shows that there is potential for a fracture to propagate in this weak layer (see attached video).

Avalanches:
Weather: Mostly sunny, light wind, mid 30’s for a high.
Snowpack: No signs of instability. Could feel the old layer with 4- 8 cm of new on top. Skiing was supportive and fast

Avalanches: some sluffing in ruby range, no significant activity, NE bowl of Owen may have slid mid storm, snow surface looked a bit roughed up, but covered by recent snow.
Weather: Winds less than 10mph most of day, but increasing last several hours ahead of next storm. Temperatures rose from single digits early to 18º on ridge and 29º at study plot. Trace snow accumulation. Low level stratus clouds built and dissipated most the day with increasing clouds last hour with flurries.
Snowpack: Cold powder this morning quickly transitioned to heavy moist snow in upper 12” of new snow. Easterly and southerly snow in lower 2/3rds of terrain most cooked. Cool west breeze minimized moistening in west facing terrain and UUWW for tomorrow, but still got moist. Snow safety routes this morning verified rapid stabilization of snowpack overnight, minimal windslabs and storm slabs all but disappeared. Early prefrontal red dust layer quite visible where cat has cut roads, cornices, etc. Simple hand shears continued to show failure 4cm above red dust in storm snow.

Avalanches:
Weather: Mostly sunny, light to moderate winds from the WNW, cool temps NTL & ATL
Snowpack: 15 cms HST (at TH), and about 50 cms HST (at summit). Cold, dry, and uncohesive in the morning, becoming moist and slabbing up by 1300. Resting on a soft, dusty MF crust. Easily skier triggered by early afternoon as wet loose slides once the HST became moist on steep terrain features via ski cuts, and running on the old MF crust. Surfaces ATL staying cold where exposed to wind on the surface.

Avalanches: Small Loose wet slide where observed running on the old dust MF crust as well as a small skier triggered loose Storm slab E aspect. See Photo.
Weather: Mostly clear with low clouds in the valley in the AM, light to moderate winds from the WNW, cool temps NTL & ATL.
Snowpack: The snow was quick to warm up today on S-SE aspects becoming moist and thick before 11:00am. Boot pen 10cm and HS 225cm at 11,000′. Lots of settlement BTL.

Storm-Slab

Avalanches:
Weather:
Snowpack: Snow totals ended up being far less in the Friend’s Hut zone than other areas. Our storm total was only 3” and transport was minimal. Cornices, drifting and loading upon observation was minimal and controlled by the team moving about on both sides, above and below Star Pass. Teams split up and moved into the basin systematically in radio contact to slice and dice any suspect slope. Most cuts we did were no more than a few inches of new snow on hard surfaces. Obs are decidedly thin new snow, some snow collection in low lying gullies and persistent slabs are stubborn and triggering unlikely.