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: 
Hide 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