Isolated cracking above 2500' along West ridge, but only above skin track where snow was unsupported. Top 6" of snow was dense and wind affected along the ridge with 20" wind drifts in places.
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Sunburst
Sunburst- normal West Ridge uptrack to 3400′
Observer Comments
Weather
Obscured sky
Snowing S1 at times
33F at Road and 25F at 3400'
Light wind - ENE
Snow surface
1000' - 3" of wet snow
2000' - 10" of new snow
3400' - variable snow depths where winds have drifted snow (6" - 20")
Snowpack
Easy to moderate hand sheers in top 6 - 10" of new snow with Q2 and Q3 sheer quality. This was above 2500' near ridge where snow was denser and more wind affected. Below 2500' snow was loose and unconsolidated.
at 1400' - dug small hand pit about 15" deep. Found several layers of moist snow and multiple m/f crusts starting to form at these layers.
Pit at 2000' - quick and informal pit, Easy shovel tilt test, failure at density change from F to 4F 10" below surface. Found a light 1cm thick curst 12" below the surface. Below this m/f crust is 8" of 1F hard snow on a stout m/f crust >5" thick. Didn't dig deeper to see total thickness of stout crust.
Pit at 3400' - HS=200cm, WSW aspect, slope 32*, Easy to moderate force with multiple shovel tilt tests in top 6" and 10" of snow. Failure occurred at density changes from 1F to 4F. CT4 failed 6" (15cm) below surface and CT6 at 10" (25cm) below surface. No other failure below these layers.
Looked liked Japanuary on Sunburst today. Magnum in the background.
Hand Sheer Test - Q2 shear quality
Photo of Pit at 3400' on WSW aspect of Sunburst
Several groups of skiers and snowboarders ascending the Sunburst Ridge