Observation type
Snowpack
Observer
Allen Giernet
Keep me anonymous if published
no 
Location (general area)
Mt. Islip East ridge above Windy Gap 
Date (yyyymmdd)
20170114
Time
1531
Road conditions to area
Road clear to Islip saddle
Temperature
-3°C 
Sky
Obscured (fog or base layer prevents view of sky)
Wind speed
Strong (26-38mph Whole trees in motion)
Wind direction
NW
Slope aspect
North West
Aspect in degrees
352°
Slope angle
37°
Elevation
2,339m/ 7,675' 
Snow depth
63cm/ 25"
Boot/ Ski penetration
20cm/ 7.5cm
Precipitation
None
Activity, recent avalanches
yes
Brief description
Roller balls ad pinwheels on NE aspects at lower elevations
Whumphing noises, shooting cracks. collapsing
no
Rapid warming
no
Obvious avalanche path
no
Terrain trap
yes
Comment
Easily skinned from car at Islip gate. Solid coverage of soft snow on road.
 
At 2,134m/ 7,000' performed a stomp test on a snow pillow with no reactions. NNE slope.
 
A hand pit around 2,286m/ 7,500' revealed 102cm/ 40" snowpack with a thin crust at 15cm/ 6" from the top. At the base was about 20cm/ 8" from the ground found an ice layer on top of moist wet grains.
 
Near 2,438m/ 8,000' S SW were wind scoured with a wind crust developing on Northerly ridge. Serious riming on the trees from the SW. from the cold windy storm cycle.
 
evidence in all the trees of the melt freeze cycle and rain turning to snow but the water ice and ice cycles i=on the pine needles that were then covered in snow.
 
Scattered grapple was present near or on the surface of the snowpack from 1,829m/ 6,000' to 2,438m/ 8,000'.
 
Warming was having an effect on Easterly and Southerly aspects and will obviously be prone to wet slide activity during the coming warm cycle as well as creating a melt freeze crust for the next snow to fall on these aspects
 
Wind loading was apparent on N NW aspects but non reactive in areas we tested. There was very little evidence of snow being transported back into the Southern aspects from the current Northwest winds.
 
We found no obvious signs of instability during our travel and testing. We also fond no surprises on our pit which confirmed what we were observing. See the attached pit profile.
 
there is a rain crust layer in this pit that may become a concern with significant snowfall but at this time there is good bonding between layers and no faceted weak layers.
 
On last note the grauple we found could become a buried persistent weak layer in various locations after the next snowfall. Hopefully the warm cycle will take care of this layer since it is at the surface.