3" of hot pow at Carson Pass

About 3" of new snow at Carson Pass, and evidence of minimal wind transport. The old snow was only partly refrozen, which allowed for good bonding between old and new, but also created punchy ski conditions and raised concerns about wet instabilities below the new/old interface. Besides the partly refrozen old snow, we did not observe any old snow instabilities.

Pic 1: Previous tracks still visibile under minimal new snow. Also note the snow remaining in trees, and still covering windward side of Elephant's Back, indicating not much wind transport had occurred.

Pic 2: Morning sun was warming rocks and triggering lots of roller ball activity in the area, getting almost big enough to call wet loose avalanches. We departed the area before 11am and did not witness any larger activity than pictured here.

Pic 3: Some shallow cracking within new snow on a cornice stomp.

Pic 4: New cornice wasn't big enough and old cornice wasn't fragile enough to get a big piece to drop, but this small wet loose did initiate.

Pic 5: Large cornices in the area, but not where we descended.

Pic 6: Ominous convective clouds were building in all directions by late morning.