DATE OF OBSERVATION: 02/20/2015
NAME: Irwin Guides Level 2 Avalanche Course
ASPECT: East, South East
ELEVATION: 9300-10300
WEATHER: ELEVATION: 9300’ to 10,200′
ASPECT: SE – E
Broken to overcast skies, snowing S2, moderate west winds at 9,900’ (but strong to extreme winds at Snodgrass trailhead), temp 0ºC. Winds seemed to ease a bit through afternoon. Pulses of convective activity passed through all afternoon, but total accumulation was about 2cm by 3:30PM.
SNOWPACK: Class activity for day was a full profile. Pit was located at 10,200’ on an east aspect, 17º slope. (See weather info above.) HS 88cm; HN24 2cm (rimed stellars); Tsurf -3.5ºC. Snowpack was a combination of facet layers, with 3mm DH in the bottom 10cm. Most dramatic interface was 25cm below surface; but didn’t appear to be buried SH and did not react to compression tests (although it was a 17º slope). Most interestingly, the facet layer from 10cm to 37cm was 1F and may have been sintering.