Date of Observation: 02/15/2016
Name: Steve Banks
Aspect: North, East, South
Elevation: 9400-12400
Avalanches:
Weather: Scattered morning skies with colder temps staying near or below freezing with light to moderate NW winds. Lots of plumes visible on the ridgetops especially midday.
Snowpack: Found good soft snow with 1-3″ of new blown in up to a foot deep at higher ridge top elevations. New snow not bonding well to old sun or wind crusts, but sticking to older dry snow. Still some lingering persistent slabs in some areas, but the snow is weakening and the slab is dissipating, especial ATL and BTL.
1 shallow windslab pocket produced a 10′ crack and 15′ downslope soft slab, but it was barely able to slide on firm wind pressed snow below. Hand shears on sunnier aspects show crust facet combos and no more moist or wet snow. 1 ECTP 11 SC in a fairly unrepresentative spot at the ridge line at 12,400 on a South facing slope failing on crust/facet combo.