Alder is alright

This morning's weather forecast called for an overcast day. FAC staff was concerned that a possible greenhouse effect would develop, resulting in the warming of dry snow on northerly slopes and initiating a wet loose cycle. We went to aspects harboring dry snow to monitor this potential avalanche problem.

• The morning started mostly cloudy, but by late morning the clouds dissipated, leading to partly sunny conditions, which prevented the greenhouse effect from developing.
• We found dry snow above 5300 feet on shady slopes. Large swaths of the northerly terrain we traveled on had been affected by a recent wind leaving thin breakable wind slabs, windboard, and scoured areas.  Beneath the wind slab was a thick layer of faceted snow. Our ski turns easily fractured the slab, which moved on top of this weak layer. These slabs were small and harmless.
• Warm overnight temperatures resulted in a thin unsupportable crust on the sunny slopes that we traveled. This morning, we found a hard crust in the trees at low-elevation, which broke down into a fine sheen of corn by the afternoon.
• Several small wet loose slides on sunny aspects were the only recent avalanche activity noted.