Date of Observation: 03/25/2016
Name: Evan Ross
Aspect: North
Elevation: NTL/BTL
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.