Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 02/05/2019
Name: Eric Murrow & Zach Kinler
Subject: Its piling up
Aspect: North, North East, North West
Elevation: 9,200-10,600
Avalanches:
Visibility was limited during day but got a few partial glimpses around higher elevation terrain and did not see any fresh signs of avalanches.
Weather: Winds were moderate with strong gusts at below treeline location. Decent drifts forming on road at valley bottom. Vis was so so for most of the day, but loading observed on open terrain. Precip consistent from 1030 to 3 but very light, accumulations less than an inch (rimed PP and graupel).
Snowpack: New snow accumulations (since Sunday night) at 1pm – 10600′ 33cm with 1.8″SWE, HS in this area around 225cm. Dug a test profile in this area down to below the 1/15 interface. Easy clean sheers in the middle of the new snow. ECTP13 on the new/old interface (2/2) on a thin layer of 1mm facets down 35cm at this location. No results on the 1/15 interface, even when hammering after standard tests. Did not dig to ground but Holiday slab and 1/16&1/18 slab mostly pencil hard. Skinning and stomping on tiny test slopes produced cracks up to a ski length within the storm snow.
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