Observations from Monument Pass

Calm day with temps just barely warm enough for an inch or two of wet snow on SE aspects below 10,000ft at noon, and on SW aspects just after noon. Cold, shady slopes held much less faceted snow than recently observed around Carson Pass and Blue Lakes. Recent NE winds appear to have redistributed it, and today we only found shallow near surface facets in small pockets. I believe we saw two old avalanche crowns, on Job's Sister and on Freel, though recent winds have created enough texture to be easily confused with crowns. +/-150cm probed just below ridgetop on NE aspects, and no signs of instability were observed today.

Pics 1 and 2: Possible old crowns on large convexities.

Pic 3: Lumps and bumps showing through with the aging snowpack (not moguls). 

Pic 4: Surface wetting was shallow, though it was enough to make the very textured snow surfaces enjoyable for skiing.