February 22
PC ridges-Monitors, Scotts, No Name, Wills Hill
Elevations,slope angles and aspects
7800-10400', angles over 40°, all aspects.
Snow conditions
Settled snow, abused by wind and sun, in areas exposed to weather events.
South facing had a stout crust, off aspects were variable. Elevations below about 8000' warmed enough to get damp, more so as elevation decreased. Dense creamy snow was found on upper elevation north facing. Winds were moving snow along the ridges but, availability was limited.
Weather
Skies were mostly cloudy with mild temperatures. Winds from the west, gusting to around 25 mph.
Evaluation
Good stability was found. Instabilities were damp to wet snow at mid and lower elevations on all aspects and some shallow drifting at upper elevations exposed to wind. Overnight cooling should refreeze the heated snow, especially at mid elevations.
Future instability would be dependent on bonding of the currently forecast snow with the old surface.
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