Forecaster Observation: Middle Fork and Marias Pass

Near Marias Pass, we found 6 inches of new snow with a total depth of 18 inches on a north aspect at 5200 ft. Our new snow was sitting on top of a mixed bag of moist crusts and facets. These basal layers were only 1-3" thick on a NW face at about 4900 feet. We concluded that a layered snowpack is developing above about 4800 feet on cold, shaded slopes in this part of the zone. Barely a breath of wind in East Glacier. Lake McDonald was glass. Snow still in the trees on shaded slopes throughout the Middle Fork. It doesn't appear there's been any significant wind transport of the new snow at low and mid elevation in this zone. At upper elevations, it may be minimal as well, though we had no direct obs. The only evidence of wind transported snow were a few shallow drifts on westerly aspects near Marias Pass.