Soft Corn Snow on Rose Knob

We toured in the Rose Knob area to look at how the current weather was influencing snow surface conditions.  Warmer overnight temperatures with increased cloud cover provided less of an overnight refreeze in this area than what we have experienced on previous days.  Light to moderate SW winds were keeping the snow surface firmer in wind exposed locations.  We skied from 9600' to 7800' with good corn snow conditions on SE/S aspects with 1-2'' of wet snow on top of a firm and supportable base.  We skied a slight gully feature that was out of the direct wind and provided good soft snow at 12:15pm.  Changing aspects to E showed a more punchy and wet snow feel with less of the melt freeze cycles that have occurred on SE/S aspects.  NE/N aspects continue to have variable crusts with more soft wet snow conditions and some sticky snow below 7600'.  Snow coverage is getting thin with many obstacles and open water in the creek below 7800'.