Wet Snow on the South Side of Stanford Rocks

Areas of soft unconsolidated snow still remained on the surface on the sheltered N facing slopes. On any slopes that had received sunshine or tree drippings (including some NE and E aspects below 8000 ft.), the snow surface quickly became wet and sticky by 11 am today. On N and NE aspects ski cuts on test slopes, general observations, and snowpit data showed a well bonded snowpack and no signs of instabilities.

On sun exposed SE-S-SW aspects, the melt freeze crust that formed as wet snow refroze last night had melted by noon today leaving 3 to 5 inches of wet snow sitting above colder snow above a rain crust on these aspects. These aspects have not transitioned to corn snow yet. Ski cuts on small test slopes triggered pin wheels and roller balls and indicated that some larger loose wet snow instabilities might be possible on steeper larger SE-S-SW facing slopes today. These small roller balls and pin wheels would entrain the wet snow and some of the cold snow below it on the most sun exposed aspects.

Photos: Skier triggered roller balls and pinwheels on small SE-S facing test slopes near the summit of Stanford Rock at 8400 ft.