Professional Observation

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Snow Stability

Bottom Line

We traveled from valley bottom on snowmobiles too 6500' before transferring to skies and making our way to 7600' on the south shoulder of Sunday Mountain in the Swans. We found stable conditions throughout the tour. The new snow seems well bonded to the crust with the exception of isolated areas of cracking on the northeast. North winds have moved snow, cross loading the Swan Ridge and drifts grew as we ascended. However it was well bonded, and we found no signs of instability. The top of the ridge may still hold pockets of reactive wind slab where winds are stronger. Tonight and tomorrow's winds will create reactive wind slab at a variety of elevations.
The crust extends up to about 7000' in the Swan. It is well buried and not apparent under skies until about 6500'. It becomes thicker and less deeply buried below this. Below 6000' the snowpack has been thoroughly saturated and refrozen. Avalanches are unlikely at this elevation, unless we get rain on snow.