Rain Crusts:
Rain crusts tend to be much more smooth and slippery than sun
crusts and instabilities associated with them tend to last much
longer, typically several days after a storm and sometimes through
several storms. Also unlike sun crusts, rain crusts form uniformly
on all aspects but rain crusts--like rain--is highly elevation
dependent. Typically rain falls at lower elevations and as you
ascend through the freezing level the rain progressively turns
to snow.
Prolonged rain on new snow forms drainage channels down the
fall-line and make a corrugated pattern in the surface snow.
These drainage channels (also called "rill marks,"
are a strong sign of stability).
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