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