Virginia Lakes current snow conditions

HS = 60-90cm in the sheltered shady aspects on South Peak with variable surfaces of powder, wind board and a bit of breakable crust.

HNS = avg~15cm, 10cm where eroded and 30cm where loaded. The Christmas Eve snow was cold and well bonded to old snow surfaces.

I did not observe any natural or human caused avalanche activity or any signs of instability during our travels today. Lots of evidence of wind scouring and stripping primarily on due E, W and S aspects. Protected NE aspects held the best snow where it had been wind loaded in gullys and depressions. There was some wind slab right adjacent to small rib features on the NE aspect, but it was not sensitive and did not propagate at all when stomped on or ski cut.  Extreme terrain or convex features could hold some surprises though, so be on the lookout.

Due N and E aspects held more of the 5cm thick (P Hardness) wind slab that has been found throughout December underneath the new snow. The 40-45cm of old snow underneath this thin wind slab is faceted and is of F Hardness. The thin wind slab is variable spatially and not contiguous across slopes.  Large panels of it do exist, but sections of snow, rock bands, ribs and trees break it up.

Tests showed good stability and bonding of our past few storms layers (12/21and12/24). The snow pit did show some interesting melt-freeze crusts that developed at the onset of the last two storms which both started out quite wet and warm.  There were loose faceted grains 40cm down underneath the bottom of these two crusts.  Interesting snow profile, but I don’t believe this is a uniform representation of all slopes. Low tide and spatial variability are the name of the game right now.