Wind Scouring and Loading on Tahoe Mountain

Wind scouring particularly around trees where scouring existed to ice layer on W-SW aspect ~7100 ft. Strong winds on the ridge. Developing wind crust. Deposits and small cornices on E-NE aspect ~7100ft. Small test slope above a cornice revealed cracking in the recent storm slab, which eventually gave way. Very small avalanche, ran ~50ft, stopping on lower angle terrain. Collapse occurred distinctly in storm slab but dragged underlying layers. Snow on the ground was relatively dry and loose. Snowfall seemed to become wetter 3-4 pm.