Snowpack Update Feb 24, 2024 - Goose Creek

Date: Feb 24, 2024
Submission: Julie-Ann Chapman, CMBGA Level 3, Lead Guide & Owner She Shreds Mountain Adventures

Today was a day for our AST 1 group to get their heads in the snowpack!

👉We started the day getting our hands in the snowpack at 1640M with a quick hand shear test. This produced moderate resistant results on the facets down about 50cm above the melt-freeze crust from Feb 3.

👉We then moved to 2200M and did a rutchblock test with the sled on a SE aspect (within some protected trees on a slope of 20 degrees). This produced no results.

👉We then moved to a SE aspect at 2240M just below a wind-affected ridge top and we did many compression tests. We had quantifiable easy sudden collapse results in the top 25cm of new storm snow that was sitting on a thin layer of a melt-freeze crust. The persistent weak layer that is sitting down 55cm here has facets sitting on top of a 10cm thick melt-freeze crust and was producing some inconsistent hard results.

⚠️I think I will be playing it conservatively at tree line and alpine elevations during this upcoming storm cycle which will add extra weight to the already touchy snowpack.⚠️

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO and always check the FORECAST and BULLETIN on @avalanchecanada