Deep Creek Observations

We toured into the Deep Creek area to check out snow conditions and see what the wind was doing to the snow surface.  We found large surface hoar along the road and in open meadows and areas up to 7000'.  Temperature inversions were keeping the lower elevations cool with warmer temperatures above 7000' which has likely limited surface hoar development.  Most of this terrain is heavily treed and sheltered with soft surface snow.  Some open areas along the ridgelines had cornice formation along with hard wind slabs.  These wind slabs were mostly unreactive with limited to no cracking with ski cuts and jumping on small test slopes.  Dropping some firm cornice blocks onto slopes below caused minor cracking.