Rapid Warming on Relay Peak

We went back to the site of the skier-triggered persistent slab avalanche that occurred on April 8 to look and see if the weak layer is still reactive.  We did a snowpack test at the old crown of the avalanche and examined the weak layer again.  An ECT did not show that propagation was likely, which was different from the last observation here on Thursday that still showed unstable results.  The weak layer has gained strength at this location and does not seem likely to produce avalanches.

Overnight temperatures were warm and above freezing, but clear skies allowed for radiational cooling to provide a thin firm surface crust below 9000' on southerly aspects.  This surface crust quickly softened and was wet and punchy in some areas as soon as 9:45am.  Southerly aspects above 9000' were transitional soft snow that hasn't gone through many melt freeze cycles yet at this elevation.  This transitional snow was wet by mid morning, but provided ok travel conditions.  Northerly aspects were a mix of wind blown snow, soft snow, crusts, and wet snow.  We descended at 11am which was a little late for optimum conditions.  Below 8800' snow surface was mostly wet, sticky, and slow.