tale of two worlds

Valley stratus keeping skies and peaks obscured below ~4500 ft. Partly cloudy above that. Although temps below freezing, direct solar input on sunny slopes moistening surface snow, triggering snow to drop from trees and rocks, rollerballs on upper-elevation slopes, and some shallow but long-running sluffs on slopes steeper than about 40 degrees. 2+ mm upright surface hoar on shady, mid-elevation slopes. In two mid-elevation snow profiles (SW 5700 ft; N 5850 ft), well-consolidated, 115 cm-thick slab (1- and 4-finger small rounds) s over 25-30 cm thick basal facets (4-finger 1.5 mm, moist on SW) and crusts. No propagation in tests; no signs of instability.