New snow along GTSR

Went out to assess how much snow the GTSR recieved with the weekend storm before road crew continues working in Red Rock this week. Kept slope angles low and over-head exposure minimal given the upper end of forecasted snow totals and consistent winds.

Weather:

• 27*F at 3400' at 9am with light gusting moderate SW winds and S2+ snowfall
• Temps remained consistent throughout brief tour (until noon)
• Snowfall rate lessened ~1130am and stopped at 1215pm
• Skies were obscurred

Snowpack:

• 15 cm of new snow at 3400' on the GTSR
• 40 cm of new snow above 5000' on N and W aspects
• Quick pit @ 5130' - NNW aspect - 37* slope - HS 235 cm - ECTX & CTX results (picture attached)
• New snow was right side up, unconsolidated, and seemed well bonded to the moist Thursday/Friday crust interface below
• Localized cracking (<1 m) only found on every wind exposed test slopes

Avalanche:

• No avalanche activity observed today (but obscurred skies limited visibility of larger slopes)
• We will be on the lookout for continued (and increasing) winds overnight as well as any opportunity for warming over the next few days to increase the avalanche hazard along the GTSR