Noticed several glide cracks at mid-elevation on the zone below Seattle Ridge weather station, but not sure how recently they have formed.
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Sharkfin Treeline
Alaska Pacific University Snow Science 1 class field day.
Observer Comments
Weather
Clear skies, no new precipitation.
Temps 3F at 9:30am, but balmy 25F in the afternoon.
Calm to light winds, even at treeline.
All in all a beautiful sunny day in the mountains.
Snow surface
1-2cm surface hoar at lower elevation.
Near surface facets with mixed in tiny surface hoar at 1900'.
Variably sastrugi and wind crusts on W aspect.
Pesky suncrust on S aspect affected ski quality.
Snowpack
Dug on both N and S aspects on Sharkfin lower ridgeline. Here are the cliff notes:
North
HS:245cm
Buried surface hoar was intact at 80cm from top, but non-reactive. CTN, ECTX.
South
HS:155 cm
Several sun crusts at top 20cm, all of them had small facets underneath.
20cm of basal facets were pouring out in the pit, but it was not reactive and failed in ECT only after excessive force.
Several 1-2 cm sun crusts on top part of the pack.
0.3-0.5mm near surface facets growing in the top of snowpack at north aspect, 1900'.