New snow on top of rain crusts and wet snow in the Grouse Rocks area

Between 7200 ft and 7400 ft a 3-5 inches of snow existed on top of a thick rain crust with wet snow below it. At these elevations soft snow was capped by a thin breakable crust that melted on the E-SE-S-SW aspects by afternoon. This thin crust remained on the northerly aspects. At these elevations the snow depths remained relatively shallow but the snow that is there is very supportable.

Above 7400 ft the snowpack becomes progressively deeper as the elevation increases. Snow height measured at 8200 ft was almost 200 cm. Similar snow structure existed with new snow on top of a thick rain crust and wet snow. The snow surface above 7400f t was a mix of thin breakable crusts, wind scoured crusts, dense consolidated snow, and wind crusts.

Ski cuts on steep test slopes, general observations, and snowpit data all indicated a stable snowpack. Numerous settlement cracks existed around trees and rocks (photo 2). On some steep test slope between 8400 ft and 7400 ft ski cuts did result in ski width wide sluffing of the snow on top of the rain crust (photo 1).

On the southerly aspects the snow surface did experience some melting and will likely refreeze into a crust by tomorrow morning.