Strengthening snow on Paola Ridge

Traveled to the Flathead Range to monitor the aftereffects of Monday's storm (1/7).

• Snow totals from the recent storm ranged from 7" on the valley floor (3800') to 10-12" above 6500'
• A supportable melt-freeze crust, which formed last week, exists to 5200'.
• Areas sheltered from the wind harbor low-density incohesive snow. Wind affected areas contain a storm slab 4F to 1F hard.
• Storm slabs were stubborn to ski stomping.
• Substantial wind transport occurred during this storm with fresh cornices up to 30" thick resting on top of older cornices.
• Cornices broke easily with ski stomping but only triggered loose snow sluffs on the slopes below.
• Instabilities were confined to isolated cracking in slabs and loose snow sluffs that we easily triggered while skiing steep terrain. 
• A handful of the numerous avalanche paths that can be seen from this ridge had debris in them. This debris was likely the result of both storm slabs and loose dry slides that occurred during the storm. Debris appeared to be small.