Transition from Frozen Crust to Corn on Judah

The snow surface remained frozen on all aspects during the morning. On sheltered N aspects, this frozen surface manifested as a breakable crust on top of softer snow. On more exposed N-NE aspects firm wind scoured surfaces existed.

On more sun-exposed E-SE-S-SW aspects the melt-freeze crust was supportable and between 6 and 10 cm thick. Below this melt-freeze crust on these aspects, about 20 to 25 cm of wet snow existed. Between 9:30 and 10 am the snow surface started to soften on sun-exposed wind-protected SE-S aspects up to about 7800 ft. By 10:15 2-3 cm of soft wet corn snow existed on top of the crust. By 10:45 snow surface melting had crept up to 8000 ft. on these aspects and the amount of wet snow on the surface had increased to 3 to 5 cm. Ski cuts on steep sun-exposed SE facing test slopes around 7600 ft. started to trigger small roller balls at 10:30 am.