We visited the Fish Creek Knob area today with our UAS Level II course. We did not record any snow profiles, as we were focusing on techniques and routefinding, but we did observe the snow conditions.

It was raining lightly up to about 450 m and snowing above, with about 20-40 cm of moist new peanut butter powder at 700 m elevation. Winds were light, SE about 0-5 m/sec on the ridges. The weight and moisture of the new snow were combining to rapidly settle and dampen the dry powder from several days ago, but there were weaknesses between the newer, moister snow and the drier powder at some 20 - 40 cm depth, and between both layers and the thin melt freeze crust from a week ago at 40 - 60 cm depth.

The upper weakness showed up most prominently in slope tests. It produced shooting cracks and mini-slabs, particularly when undercut and especially where windloading was more pronounced.

The lower weakness turned up in block tests, breaking on the second hard jump (#5) at Quality 2 (clean shear) on only 35°, and fracturing on stuffblock tests when the block was cut (V) or up to a 10 cm drop, also very weak, on 40 - 45°.

The signs of instability we saw today were shooting cracks and mini-slabs, recent heavy snowfall, and windloading.

Though the deep and moist surface layers seemed to absorb energy well when skied, they scored a sensitive #1 on the slab test, tearing out into the surrounding snow in areas with moderate windloading. We rode with caution and kept our slope angles low.

Due to its moist consistency, the new snow is unlikely to be sensitive to rain, but rapid and heavy snow and wind loading could possibly trigger it. Backcountry travelers should exercise caution on slopes over 35° and stay off slopes over 40°.