Warm Snow and Oreo Layers Stoney Ridge

We went to Stoney Ridge to check out the crust sandwich near the top of the snowpack. As we ascended the ridge, we also moved across N-NE-E aspects. Whenever we crossed over onto full E aspects the snow got wet and warm. On the way up, we found a small E-facing test slope and were able to trigger some small roller balls and pinwheels in the wet snow before 11 am.

On the shaded N aspects, the recent surface snow remained soft and cold. We could feel the upper rain crust with our poles and our skis. We dug into the snowpack on a N aspect and found the crust sandwich (rain crust on top, thin layer of soft snow in the middle, rain crust on the bottom - like an Oreo) buried about 3 inches below the current snow surface. While the soft snow between the crusts did show some signs of weakening (facetting), snowpit tests did not produce signs of instability.

We continued up to the top of the ridge where we found wind-scoured surfaces on the windward side and drifts of snow on the leeward side. Stomping the slabs of wind drifted snow on small test slopes did not produce any cracking or other signs of lingering wind slab instability. 

On our descent, we found slow, wet, sticky snow on the E aspects and in the sunny spots on the N and NE aspects. Shaded N aspects still held cold snow.