Creamy turns

Location Name: 
Forecaster Observation - Northern Swan
Observation date: 
Monday, December 13, 2021 - 15:15
Is this an Avalanche Observation: 
No
Observation made by: Forecaster

Tabs

Quick Observation

Today we rode into the northern Swan to assess recently formed wind slabs and get a grasp on that part of the range. Again, we were pleased to see good coverage, right-side-up storm snow, and great riding conditions.

  • Total snowpack height averaged 2 to 3 feet deep at the upper elevation band. Roughly 10 inches of recent snow sits on a freezing rain crust.
  • We observed no recent avalanches, no shooting cracks, and felt no collapses.
  • Minimal cornice development along exposed ridgelines. We were able to release one small cornice that did not trigger a slab below. 
  • Snowpack tests all showed non-propagating results. Failure planes were the freezing rain crust that formed on the 7th and just above the ice mass at the bottom of the snowpack. 
  • We had no results with ski cuts on steep break-overs. 

With no observed signs of instability, we felt comfortable riding one at a time in avalanche-prone terrain with clean runouts.  

Snowpack, Avalanche, Weather Images: 
Snowpack, Avalanche, Weather Videos: 

Good Swan

Travel Details
Region: 
Swan Range - East Side (Hungry Horse Reservoir access)
Activity: 
Skiing
Snowmobiling
Snowpack Details
Snowpack and Weather Details: 
Hide Terrain
Elevation of observation: 
3500-5000 ft
5000-6500 ft
Above 6500 ft
Aspect(s) of observation: 
N
NE
New Snow in the past 24 hours: 
0.00in.
Total Snow Depth: 
36
More comments about the snowpack and weather: 
Snowpit at 6400 feet had no crust/facet/crust layer at the bottom of the snowpack.
Blowing Snow: 
Light
Wind Speed: 
Light (Twigs in motion)
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Sky Cover: 
Overcast (OVC)
Highest Precipitation Rate: 
No Precipitation (NO)