| Recent Avalanches? | No |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | Yes |
Observation: Douglas Island
Location: Fruit Bowl
We skinned up towards Fruit Bowl to assess new snow instabilities and the persistent layer buried below the end of year melt-freeze crust. In the area where we dug the new snow was less consolidated and hadn’t formed a storm slab. The deeper layer ultimately propagated in our tests. We chose to avoid wind loaded areas and utilized safe travel techniques through the day. There was about 1.5ft of new snow total from the storm.
Obvious signs of instability
Observer Comments
Isolated areas where new snow was failing over the old snow.
Weather
Obscured skies with snowfall throughout the day. Light south winds gusting moderate. Temperatures in the mid-low twenties.
Snow surface
About 18" of new snow total from the storm. Found less signs of wind in this area.
Snowpack
At 2,200' on the NE-aspect total snow depth was around 200cm. We used the extended column test to look for propagation in the new snow and got a non-propagating results of ECTN3 down 15cm and ECTN23 down 40cm. Then we used the propagation saw test to target a layer of facets below the end of year crust. It was buried over a meter deep. This produced a propagating test result of PST 25/115 End down 115cm. The faceted weak layer that failed looked sugary and rotten.
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