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Buried Surface Hoar in Upper Hay Cr.
Location Name:
Pro Observation- Hay Cr, Whitefish Range
Observation date:
Thursday, January 17, 2019 - 20:00
Is this an Avalanche Observation:
No
Observation made by:
Professional Observer
Tabs
Quick Observation
Today we rode up Hay Cr in the Whitefish Range.
We noted the crust from last week up to approximately 6000 ft.
On protected North facing slopes up to 6500 ft we found buried surface hoar. They ranged in size from 2-3 cm at 6000 ft to .5-1 cm crystals at 6500 ft.
We left around 2:30 in the afternoon and there was 2-3 inches of new snow in the head of the drainage.
On South facing slopes near the ridgeline we found a thin layer of small facets at the new snow/old snow interface.
There was no evidence of wind since it had started snowing and the air was still until we started driving home in the evening.
Our pits produced no results.
Snowpack, Avalanche, Weather Images:
Travel Details
Region:
Whitefish Range - Northern (north of Coal Creek)
Route Description:
We rode up Hay Cr. to the Whitefish Divide.
Activity:
Snowmobiling
Snowpack Details
Snowpack and Weather Details:
Terrain
Elevation of observation:
3500-5000 ft
5000-6500 ft
Above 6500 ft
Aspect(s) of observation:
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Persistent Weak Layers:
Surface Hoar
Buried
New Snow in the past 24 hours:
3.00in.
Total Snow Depth:
240 cm
More comments about the snowpack and weather:
It was a pleasant day with temps in the 20's and cloudy skies all day. It was snowing lightly all day.
Blowing Snow:
None
Wind Speed:
Calm (No air motion)
Air temperature:
Below Freezing
Sky Cover:
Mostly Cloudy (BRK)
Highest Precipitation Rate:
Moderate Snowfall (S2)
Avalanche Details
Avalanche Details:
Date and Time of Avalanche:
Thursday, January 17, 2019 - 20:00
