Road Conditions: Expect snow on the upper end with conditions turning muddy and sloppy as the day heats up. 4x4 recommended.
Grooming: Trails have not been groomed.
Spring Awareness Campaign - Help us save lives through avalanche forecasts and education. Consider making a
donation before April 8th.
Uncertainty, Risk, & Decision Making: before, during, and after COVID-19 - Read this thought-provoking
blog post about how we take risks by guest author Tom Diegel.
24 Hour Snow 0" Weekly Snow 2" Base Depth in Gold Basin 65" Wind S 20-30 G50 Temp 30F
Weather: Southerly winds continue to crank in the 20-30 mph range with gusts as high as 50 along ridgetops. Today look for mostly sunny skies with breezy and warm conditions. High temps will again reach the mid 40's. Tue-Wed looks dry and sunny. A closed low off the Pacific coast will move into the area sometime Thursday bringing us our next chance for snow.
Snowpack: Spring conditions are in effect. I've observed corn-like snow developing on S-W facing slopes below about 11,000' but marginal refreezes will keep the window short and you'll want to stay off these slopes as they become wet and punchy. Some soft dry snow can still be found on shady, sheltered aspects. Upper elevation, north-facing terrain looks fat and wind loaded, and large cornices have developed along the ridge crests of the highest cirques.
After a long dry spell in February, March saw significant snowfall, generally accompanied by strong southerly winds. Accumulating and wind drifted snow piled up on top of loose, sugary, facets that developed in February. This combination produced both natural and human triggered avalanches from 1'-4' deep. This problem still exists on northerly aspects, especially in areas with a thinner, underlying snowpack. In deeper areas, the snowpack is gaining strength. Spatial variability is the key component here and you'll never know for sure unless you dig.
It's white and bright up there!
We're approaching traditional peak snowpack depth and we've managed to creep back up to just above average. The highest depth in Gold Basin this year was over the weekend with 74" on the stake.