Strong Winds with Limited Softening in the Mt. Rose Area

We toured into the Relay Peak area to see if south aspects were softening and providing good spring snow conditions with the sunny skies.  A variety of crusts with some areas of soft cold snow existed on the approach to the E ridge of Relay Peak.  W/NW winds started to increase this morning into the strong to gale force range above 9000' by late morning.  In near and above treeline terrain, these winds were moving mostly light amounts of snow along the highest peaks and ridges in the area.  Northerly aspects were wind scoured with raised previous tracks with limited areas of softer usable snow.  Southerly aspects at 11am showed limited warming of the snow surface and provided mostly firm crust conditions with some areas of softer spring snow mixed in.