Corn, Crusts, and Dirt on Judah

As with other areas around the forecast region, the snow continues to melt quickly in the Mt. Judah area. E-NE-N-NW aspects still have snow coverage above 7500 ft. in most places, but some areas of bare ground are beginning to melt out even on these aspects. The SE-S-SW-W aspects are completely bare in most places with only a few patches of isolated snow remaining. 3-4 inches of soft corn snow existed on the E aspects with slightly less wet snow on the sunny NE aspects. Wherever wet snow did form it rested on top of a supportable melt-freeze layer. Shaded N aspects still held a frozen melt-freeze crust on the surface this afternoon. Some minor skier triggered sluffs and roller balls did occur on an E aspect at 8200 ft. around 12:30 pm. This inconsequential loose wet snow was the only sign of instability I saw in my tour.

Photo 1: East aspect of Mt. Judah. Note the rocks dirt melting out on the lower half of the slope.

Photo 2: Small skier triggered loose wet snow sluff at 8200 ft. on an east aspect.

Photo 3: Looking at the south facing slopes on Castle Peak.