Public Observation

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Observations

Skinned up to Williams Lake from the base of chair 4 today. Dug two test pits: one on a SW aspect ~11,000' and another on a NE aspect ~11,100'. HS was between 50-60 cm, with HST of ~20 cm. Precip varied between S -1 and S2 throughout my tour (1030-1330), with calm to light winds and relatively mild temps (-5 Celsius). A consistent snowpack structure was observed amongst pit sites, consisting of ~10 cm of facets/depth hoar at the ground, overlain by 20-30 cm of interbedded melt freeze crusts, near surface facets, and buried surface hoar, overlain by ~20 cm of new snow. Stability tests were consistent within and between test pits, yielding results of CT 13, 14, and 17 ( all SC) and ECTP 14 and 17 (both SC), all breaking at the ground or within the basal facet layer.

Overall, I did not encounter any surprises on this tour. We know we are dealing with a thin rotten snowpack this early in the season, and all the data I collected on this tour support this assessment.