March 3, 2011, Snoqualmie Pass
3/3/11
WA Snoqualmie Pass
2532
4
Quick tour before we successfully got to work on time. 3" new overnight became 6" new at 9:15 at pass level. Heard, but didn't see, a few others hooting in the snow on their way down.
Trailbreaking was slow but passable, especially passable where it's been treebombed a little. The zipper raincrust that was everywhere at Central last night disappeared above 4k, leaving the upper 2-3' mostly uniform/rightside-upish. Deep and a little heavy; bet it's a good day at Alpy.
No instability noted, not even a settlement.
Trailbreaking was slow but passable, especially passable where it's been treebombed a little. The zipper raincrust that was everywhere at Central last night disappeared above 4k, leaving the upper 2-3' mostly uniform/rightside-upish. Deep and a little heavy; bet it's a good day at Alpy.
No instability noted, not even a settlement.
Thanks for the report. I'm glad you mentioned the crust. I was at Alpy all day yesterday, and it definitely never rained, but it did get partly sunny for about a half hour to 45 minutes, which put the zap on some of the lower elevations for a while. However, heavy snow squalls toward the end of the day seemed to somewhat fix that. Sounds like the sun had more of an impact elsewhere.
author=trumpetsailor link=topic=19983.msg84656#msg84656 date=1299184194
No instability noted, not even a settlement.
Nit picky I know, but it sounds like you didn't note any collapsing (as opposed to settlement)
Settlement is the process of snow grains becoming smaller and more closely spaced due to gravity, essentially consolidation.
Alpy was great yesterday. Especially cuz no one was there. First time w/o lines over this storm cycle. Yahoo.
author=otter link=topic=19983.msg84695#msg84695 date=1299214372]
... but it sounds like you didn't note any collapsing (as opposed to settlement)
Thanks! Looks like that's the accepted term.
(Collapse doesn't conjure the right mental image for me, when the whumph is tiny and only felt, not heard. It makes me think of catastrophic inward-falling, like the collapse of a snowbridge or a sinkhole, instead of a sudden tiny settling of the snow over a broad area by a tiny amount. But, as someone wise once said, "You can call a spoon a fork all day if you want, but nobody will know what you're talking about." )
So very glad to see you're getting out! :)!
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