Public Observation - Essex area, Flathead Range

Location Name: 
Public Observation - Essex area, Flathead Range
Region: 
Flathead Range - Middle Fork Corridor
Date and time of observation: 
Fri, 01/20/2017 - 12:13
Location Map: 


Observation made by: Public
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Toured up Snowshed from the BNSF tracks, on up the east side and then stayed on the ridge line west and then dropped down into the head of Essex Creek (Alemeda Lake/Essex Creek jnct.).

Nice day to be out in the sun with calm winds, since the skiing was marginal at best.  Basically dust on crust up high and crunchy/punchy skiing lower.

  • Below 5500' the snowpack was spring like with a substantial frozen rain crust over facets.  While trailbreaking, you were breaking through through the  crust and sinkinking up to your knees.  
  • Above 5500' it was supportable, but the underlying snow was wet when you dug under the rain crust.  
  • The rain crust disipates at around 6600'.  Surface, depending on aspect was either dense new snow, wind slab, or on wind ecxposed areas back down to a rain and or sun crust.
  • We did notice that the previous storm systems along with some of the atypical wind patterns really moved a lot of snow around.  Areas that normally hold several feet of snow, are only about 12"18" deep.  Most of these areas had a supportable crust of some type, topped off with dense wind deposited snow of varying thicknesses.  All sitting on top of 12"+ of facets down to the ground.
  • Lots of alder this year choking up good ski lines.
  • We saw several point release avalanches below 5500' that propagated with runouts reaching 60' in width and 10' deep, and included all snow to the ground. these happened during the storm cycle when it was warm.
  • Just a couple thin wind slabs around 7000', size 1's.  Also from the previous storm cycle.
  • Good thing is that all the surface hoar that developed ove the last clear spell has been erradicated by the warm temps and wind from the last storm.
Snowpack photos: 
Any other comments about the observation or links to outside pages that have more info on the observation: 

Not the greatest conditions, but fun to get out,  We need a reload.  We skied all aspects of the compass wheel, deepest powder we found was 1.83"

Weather Observations
Cloud Cover: 
25% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Calm (No air motion)
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Southeast
More detailed information about the weather: 

Hi clouds in the am, clearing in the afternoon.  Clear skis, calm wind and dropping temps as we finished up our tour.  -23F at 3PM, southerly aspects showed no signs of solar heating.  Good conditions for surface hoar developement.

Activity: 
Skiing
High Temp. (C): 
-5
Low Temp. (C): 
n/a