Sawatch

Snowpack

Danielle Perrot ยท Nov 7, 2015

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Weather

Clear with a light wind from the east.

Snowpack

Highly variable, with bare rocks in some areas, barely-covered rocks in others, and some deep pockets (approx 1 m deep) of wind-deposited snow. We encountered punchy windslab, wind-deposited powder, and hard wind-scoured slab (turning into sastrugi in spots). Pit results showed approx 25 cm storm slab overlying a very weak layer of sugary facets. ETC test resulted in ETCP12 at 31 cm snowpack height and ECTP16 at the ground (approx 4 cm snowpack height). Significant temperature gradient between ground and storm slab layer. New windslab beginning to form at snow surface.