Whumfing on Marias Pass

Location Name: Marias Pass Observation date: Sunday, April 1, 2018 - 14:00	Is this an Avalanche Observation: No

Observation made by: Public

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Quick Observation

April Fools Day 2018 was one of those rare days when Pike Creek snotel site's data on recent accumulated snow correlated well with new snow amounts on nearby NE-facing wind-sheltered slopes.
At highway at 08:00 it was nine degrees F with clear skies and calm winds with light and variable gusts.
We found the six inches from the storm on 3/30 had settled to about 4-5 inches of fairly light density snow.
Below this was a thin crust that did not effect ski quality.
About at boot-top depth we found a much sturdier crust about a foot thick that was difficult to shovel through during beacon drills.
Sandwiched between these crusts was a layer of generally 4 Finger hardness snow.
We experienced widespread medium to large areas of whumfing in shady, sheltered basins where one might expect to find preserved buried surface hoar.
In more wind-effected areas we did not hear any whumpfing.
The only avalanche activity we observed were D 1 loose snow sloughs off rocks on steep E-facing slopes on Elk Mountain.
No cracking was observed, but we steered well clear of recent wind deposits anywhere near steep slopes.
Recent NE winds had allowed normally wind-scoured areas to look white.
Large cornices overhung NE-facing slopes on Flattop Mountain.
SW winds increased to moderate and it began to snow lightly (S1) at around 02:00.

Avalanche Details

Avalanche Details:

Date and Time of Avalanche:

Monday, April 2, 2018 - 07:30