Date of Observation: 10/24/2021
Name: billy barr
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Gothic Townsite
Observed avalanche activity: No
Weather: Snow went all night with generally light snowfall but dense with 4″ new and 0.37″ water. The snowpack is 4″ deep. Cloudy and very warm with the overnight low 30F, which is the current. Wind picked up around 6:45 but snow has seemed to stop.
Date of Observation: 10/22/2021
Name: Zach Guy and Eric Murrow
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Paradise Divide, generally traveling on N and NW aspects near and above treeline.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: A small wet loose avalanche from recent warm temps.
Weather: Mild temps, thin scattered cloud cover. Light winds and no blowing snow.
Snowpack: This snow surface will be a future weak layer. In the Northwest Mountains, continuous snow coverage has survived on the northern half of the compass on most near and above treeline slopes, with thinner coverage below treeline. In the Southeast Mountains, coverage is also thinner with more ground roughness breaking up the continuity. The photos below exemplify current coverage. Near and above treeline, we found the snowpack has faceted throughout on shady aspects: 1 mm F to F+ facets. Snow depth on shady aspects is about 10″ on average, with drifted areas up to 2 feet deep. The snowpack structure is entirely faceting on due north, with one or several thin crusts near the surface on NE and NW aspects. The snowpack transitions towards a homogenous layer of melt-freeze grains on west aspects. On southern aspects, coverage is spotty on all but the most snow-favored peaks in the Ruby Range.
Photos:
