Date of Observation: 12/28/2015
Name: JSJ
Aspect: North East, South West, North West
Elevation: 9,200’-10,900′
Avalanches:
Weather: Increasing clouds; calm winds; cold temps (-1F at 0915 @ TH /// 10F @ 1400 @ TH)
Snowpack: HST is definitely settling rapidly and consolidating into a soft slab. Ski Pen while breaking trail all day was about 20cm, while Boot Pen was full depth. Overall HS in this zone was 80-110cm. New surface hoar growth also observed on lower valley slopes. Got two thundering collapses (shaking snow off surrounding trees) when traveling in untouched low angle NE facing timbered terrain, but other then that, we saw no other signs of instability on other aspects, despite traveling on slopes just touching up into the 35* zone. But the Spx structure here was also mostly all F and 4F recent storm snow over either bare ground, or very very small thin depth hoar pockets, and seemed to lack any propagation propensity or strong over weak layering in general. Hand Shear and Shovel Tilt Tests produced no results. Things are changing fast though, as the rapid settlement continues, and there could be more of a cohesive slab on these aspects by tomorrow even, if it stays warm and sunny.