Variable conditions above Chickadee Ridge

High winds over the past 24 hours resulted in variable conditions. Exposed NW, N, and NE slopes ranged from breakable crust to firm wind slabs, with some softer pockets. Sastrugi on/near ridgelines. Even in very sheltered areas the top 100-200 feet was highly wind-affected, with softer snow further downslope in the trees. Swirling winds left some cross-loaded pockets of wind slab in gullies and around rocks. Hand pits did not reveal any obvious weak layers, and ski cuts and stomps only released small chunks of wind slab that did not propagate or run down hill. The southern aspects had collected some wind deposits, and had also developed a 1-inch sun crust by late morning.