Midweek winds worked the upper elevation terrain, finding enough loose snow to blow around and form drifts on steep leeward terrain and around terrain features like chutes or gullies. Ted was out yesterday on the east side of the range in Millcreek and found consistently, inconsistent conditions. Some areas the snowpack was supportable... and then just a few feet away you drop into a sand box. In addition, where strong snow rests on weak sugary snow, Ted experienced a few collapses and shooting cracks. While not overly sensitive to our additional weight, if your travels take you into upper elevation terrain facing the north half of the compass, I'd look for and avoid any fat, rounded piece of snow, especially if it sounds hollow like a drum. Remember- even a shallow slide can take you for a nasty ride through rocks and stumps barely hidden under our shallow snowpack.
Wind textured snow in open terrain can give you a clue that the winds have been busy at work.
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