Upper Girdwood Valley - image 1
Upper Girdwood Valley - image 2
4,800' in Easterly facing terrain - lots of rime/loose snow sluffing during the heat of the day
Observation: Girdwood
Location: Upper Girdwood Valley
Weather:
Clear, calm and downright hot in the sun. Temperatures in the shade were around 20F.
Signs of instability:
Naturally occurring pieces of rime and loose snow low volume sluffing in steep terrain being warmed by the sun – see video. Also, loose dry snow sluffs were able to be triggered on steep northerly aspects harboring several inches of faceting surface snow.
Typical springtime issues were seen in the mountains today as noted above. The surface snow was highly variable. Any slope facing a Southerly aspect had a sun crust capping varying density snow that was softening during the day. Northerly aspects continue to facet and are getting looser by the day. Even the old wind crusts are being eaten away which is good news for riding conditions.