January 21
Area:
Alta Guard station to Millcreek.
Location:
Upper Days to Main Days to Banana Belt to Spruces to Reynolds to Wilson chutes out Millcreek.
Elevations, slope angles and aspects:
6200’-10000’, angles to 40°, all aspects.
Snow surface and conditions:
4”-8” new snow over a variable base, mostly crusted. There were areas of old settled powder under the new snow. Some of that was almost unsupportable. Winds from the east-northeast were blowing , with gust of perhaps 20 mph. These were moving the light density into shallow drifts. None were found to be active. Some east facing, Reynolds peak, had been scoured to the old crust by the wind. Others, more protected saw little effect.
Weather:
Upper and mid elevation clouds were hanging around for much of the day in scattered locations. Otherwise partly cloudy, with cool temperatures. Winds from the east northeast blew for most of the day.
Evaluation:
Snow is mostly stable. Winds did form shallow drifts. Those were well bonded in areas passed through, with repeated ski cutting producing no results. I’d have some concern about active wind drifts in upper elevation terrain and an isolated potential for drifting in the more sheltered overlying weak and faceted old snow surfaces.
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