Soggy Bottom

The snowpack on slopes near/ adjacent to Whitefish Mountain Resort is ever-so slowly refreezing. The wet snow avalanche hazard has diminished - and will continue to do so.

• Meltwater production at the surface has mostly ceased above 5700 feet, maybe lower.
• Today's angry inch of snow caps a 2-4" thick melt-freeze crust that's mostly supportable on skis above about 5700 feet, though not on foot. The new snow should not provide enough insulation to prevent continued refreezing. 
• The snowpack below that crust remains moist/ wet and soft on steep southerly slopes that receive strong radiation. It is moist and dense on colder slopes, though meltwater has found its way down 30-90 cm and refrozen as discontinuous ice lenses.
• No signs of instability on slopes where I traveled, though I avoided steep terrain.
• The wet snow avalanche hazard will slowly diminish if meltwater production remains low/ zero and temps remain near/ below freezing. 
• Riding conditions ranged from tooth-shaking ice to slightly grabby cream cheese.