Southern Madison

There was a full-depth wet slab avalanche that broke last week during the warm-up on Lightning Ridge. GNFAC

We saw one new wind-slab avalanche in Sunlight Basin. It was small. From a distance, it appeared to be about 6" deep and 30' across (R1-D1). GNFAC

Spring cornices are growing very large above many wind-loaded slopes. GNFAC

We rode into the weather station, across to the Wilderness Boundary, along the ridgeline to the Beaver Slide, and back. We saw one new wind-slab avalanche in Sunlight Basin. It was small. From a distance, it appeared to be about 6" deep and 30' across (R1-D1). The other notable avalanche activity was a full-depth wet slab avalanche that broke last week during the warm-up on Lightning Ridge. 

We dug a 150 cm deep pit at the Wilderness Boundary. The basal facets and depth hoar were moist. The upper-level melt-freeze crusts were so thick and hard that even with a saw assist, we could not isolate the column to the ground. There were two newish near-surface facet layers in the upper 10" of the snowpack. No hazard now, but they will be something to watch when loaded. 

Skied at Cinnamon Mountain today. The recent warm spell was not kind to the snowpack off 191. South facing slopes at all elevations had lost significant amounts of snow, with those below 7500 ft mostly bare and muddy.

Where there was still snow a thick yet loosely frozen crust capped weaker layers lower in the snowpack. Out of the wind this crust had barely refrozen, and I crashed through it many times, sometimes with the slab propagating further and shaking nearby saplings. Near treeline the crust became stout and supportable, and the 2-3 cms of new snow were bonding well (i.e. wet snow on wet crust).

Light winds with moderate gusts out of the WSW were lightly drifting the new snow, and precip was falling intermittently and as rain below ~7 kft. Certainly a funky day out there.