Heavy Snowfall

Wind Loading

Cracking

Poor Snowpack Structure

At 8,200' ridgeline, wind-loaded snow on lee slopes was reactive >35* slopes (38-40) where the bed surface was old MF, at 13:00 it was still acting as DL, no major slab formed yet. Upon exit it was just starting to slab up, but still very soft. Dug a quick pit N 7,500', HS 120-135cm, down 80 cm is the 1-2cm dirty MF crust from before holiday storms. ECTP26 down ~90cm on F+/4F- 2-3mm FCxr (these facets were drier, but still slightly moist, larger, and NOT as rounded as the NFL layer observed yesterday @ 8,000 NW HS 135cm Summit Park). Possibly more reactive and less healed due to slightly shallower pack, due N vs NW and on an open slope vs in the conifers. Dug another quick pit off the ridgeline (ridgeline HS was around 120cm), N 8,100' HS 245cm ECTP15 down 60cm (~1mm FCsf and DF), I suspect this is the interface below the storm that started Monday 20230109. Probing at this location, I could feel the possibility of weak snow on the ground but gave up digging down to it due to depth, heavy PI at the time and the STOUT old MF or hard slab protecting it (might have needed a saw to get through it).