March 18, 2016

Observations

Arctic Valley

Red flags (obvious signs of instability):

  • Subtle whumph (collapse) on a cross-loaded terrain feature (NW aspect, ~3500′)

Weather:

  • Mostly cloudy with some very light passing snow showers and sunny breaks
  • Alpine temps in the 20s
  • Calm wind

Surface conditions:

  • Generally 6-7″ new snow from Wednesday-Thursday, more in wind-loaded areas (up to a few feet)
  • Widespread surface hoar
  • Radiation recrystallization on solar aspects

Snowpack:

  • 3529′, 293* NW aspect, 35* slope
  • 131cm height of snow, 17cm new snow (from Wed-Thur)
  • ECTP1 sudden collapse down 17cm at new/old snow interface (faceted top of old wind-packed layer)
  • ECTN18 down 41cm on 4F facets between 1F+ wind packed layersnike snowpit

Surface hoar:nike hoar

Gordon Lyon skintrack:gl skintrack

South Fork Eagle River from Gordon Lyon:sofo from gl