Observations from Powderhouse Peak

Snow ranged from cream cheese quality at lower elevations, to fast and relatively light at mid and high elevations on Luther Pass today. The dense snow down low prevented contact with the still wet old snow from earlier in the storm, but mitt pits and pole tips quickly found the wet snow below. Snow depths increased quickly with elevation, and around 8500 feet 10-12 inches of new was present on top of wet snow. Above 9000 the old snow was frozen. 

At the summit winds were strong to gale force but swirling. The attached video shows NE winds eroding a small N facing feature. Multiple jumps on small test slopes above tree line in a major wind zone did not trigger anything or produce propogation beyond the tip of a ski. Visibity was challenging in this location but it appeared that these features were not particularly loaded on the expected NE aspects. 

Photo 1: Snow levels increased substantially with elevation. This was from 8500 feet where about 10 inches of new snow was present on top of a still wet old snow interface.

Photo 2: Wind effected snow surface in a below tree line opening. 

Photo 3: Although evidence of wind effect increased near 9000 feet, no significant propagation observed even on undercut test slopes or by jumping on steeper test slopes above tree line. 

Photo 4: Wet snow under new cold snow at lower elevations created these frozen ice forms on pole tips.