Snowpack observations from Incline Lake Peak

The Mt. Rose area received much less snow than areas along the crest during the last storm. Since there is less snow the snow on the E-SE-S-SW aspects is much closer to becoming corn snow in this area than it is on the crest. By 1pm today 1-3 inches of soft, wet snow existed on top of a firm supportable crust up to 9400' in the Incline Lake Peak area on these sun-exposed aspects. On the more northerly aspects a mix of shallow soft surface snow and thin melt freeze crusts existed. The largest areas of soft snow existed on the N aspects above 8800'. Ski cuts and dropping oven sized cornice pieces onto wind-loaded 40 degree tests slopes did not cause any signs of instability in this area. Some small point-release slides and roller balls did occur near rock on the SE-S aspects on slopes steeper than 35 degrees. These slides did not entrain enough snow to pose much of a threat to backcountry travellers.