Heavy snowfall

Went into the southern Whitefish Range for the second half of the day with hopes of seeing heavy snowfall rates and to get a feel for the sensitivity of new and recent snow.

• Many handpits on east and north facing slopes showed that storm snow is bonding well to crusts. Blocks broke apart while applying force with no clean breaks. 
• The crusts below the recent snow in this location was a one centimeter freezing rain crust. I had not seen this crust prior in other parts of the Whitefish Range.
• Did one extended column test at around 6500' on a northeast aspect and got no results.
• No cracking or collapsing. Measured 50 centimeters (~20 inces) of new/recent snowfall. 
• Triggered multiple loose dry avalanches in steep terrain. Sluffs were small and very easy to manage. 
• Snowfall rates went from light snowfall at around 1200 to heavy snowfall by 1500. 

With the lack of a slab, we were comfortable riding steep terrain one at a time.