Gaining Strength in Negro Canyon

Snowpit observations near the deep slab avalanche in Negro Canyon that occurred last Sunday showed significant settlement and consolidation in the slab layer above the facets and significant rounding in the facet layer as well.  The facets now look like large rounded grains and tests targetting this layer showed an increase in strength. One test showed that fractures may still be able to propagate along this layer if it were to break. All of the data and observations indicated that actually triggering a failure in this layer would be very difficult. 

On northerly aspects, a breakable melt-freeze crust existed on the snow surface up to at least 7700 ft. Colder softer snow remained below this crust. On the E-SE-S aspects, a great deal of melting has occurred. Snow surfaces on these aspects held a thicker sometimes supportable sometimes breakable crust with wet snow below it on open slopes and thick heavy wet snow on tree covered slopes.