Wind slab avalanches on Lincoln Ridge.

We toured on Lincoln Ridge looking for any indications of faceting via melt-layer recrystallization on top of the Dec 27 rain crust and to see the expected wind slabs. 24 hr snowfall in this area was 3 inches. Numerous hand pits indicated that the recent storm snow remains well bonded on top of the Dec 27 rain crust with no signs of faceting apparent in this area. Hand pits also easily highlighted the density change in the upper snowpack for today's wind slabs. Wind slabs were 1F hard and sat on top of a non-persistent weak layer of 4F- hard recent storm snow (needles, stellars, and lightly rimed particles.)

As we moved to our first test slope, we were able to intentionally trigger a wind slab avalanche. Examining the crown and flanks, we were able to determine that the failure layer was the same weak layer we had seen in the hand pits.

Moving further up the ridge we saw the blocky hard slab debris of a natural wind slab avalanche that appeared to have occurred earlier this morning in near treeline terrain below cornices on a wind loaded NE aspect.

Some areas of the ridgetop had been scoured down to rain crust. Along other portions of the ridge the crust remained buried with ongoing ridgetop scouring and moderate amounts of blow/drifting snow.

We saw one area of very impressive cornice overhang. Built out much further than is typical before natural collapse occurs.