Castle Peak Observations

We went to the NW side of Castle Peak today.  There was around 1 to 2'' of new snow in this area with cloudy conditions and moderate NE winds.  Clouds decreased through the morning into the early afternoon.  Light to moderate blowing snow was observed on the ridges above 8400' with small wind slabs forming.  These wind slabs were limited in size and did not extend very far downslope.  With the last 2 nights of below freezing temperatures, the upper snowpack has begun to refreeze.  Anywhere from 1 to 4'' of melt freeze crusts exist in this area near the snow surface below the light new snow.  While these crusts were refrozen, they were soft enough to provide good travel conditions on the up and down.  As we got to lower elevation areas in the late morning, these crusts were already softer and beginning to have less support.  Below these melt freeze crusts exists 1 to 2 feet + of deep wet snow that has not refrozen yet.  Tomorrow's forecast calls for warmer temperatures and cloudy skies.  Depending on tonight's temperatures and refreeze of the snow surface, tomorrow's concern will focus on how long these surface melt freeze crusts can remain supportable before melting and exposing some pretty deep, wet, and unsupportable snow.