Shallow and weak in the Swan

Valley inversion and cloud deck at about 6000’. 3” to 5” of new, low density snow got moist on southerly aspects and was affected by northerly winds near ridgelines. We produced a few isolated cracks a few inches deep in wind loaded pockets. Fresh wind slabs were generally too small to pose a concern. The snowpack is shallow and becoming faceted on shadier aspects. Snow coverage is minimal below 7000’ on the west and south aspects that we traveled on. Above that elevation, westerly aspects have 2 crusts sandwiching 1mm Fist hard facets. The uppermost crust is a sun crust that becomes softer or non-existent on more northerly tilts. On southerly aspects, the snowpack has mostly melted back to the ground or into a thick sun crust below the new snow, with no weak layers at the moment.