South Purcell Conditions

A new Public Mountain Conditions Reoprt on the South Purcells:

Here are some observations from a great day spent touring around the southern Purcells east of Crawford Bay. 

Weather: Clear sky in the morning, overcast in the afternoon with few light snow flurries. Cold temperatures, with a low of -21 recorded this morning in the valley bottom (1650m). Winds generally calm except light from the south at ridgetop (2500m).

Snowpack: Average of 130cm at treeline elevations. 

- The surface is variable depending on location. In sheltered areas there is surface hoar to 10mm mixed in with about 2-3cm of very low density snow that fell last night and today. On steep south aspects there is a thin (skiable) suncrust down about 3cm. Strong SE winds yesterday loaded some areas and left some hard slab in exposed alpine locations. Below 1700m there is a rain crust down about 15cm from last week's warm storm.

A test profile at 2250m in a low angled SW aspect meadow revealed the following:

-The upper 40cm of the snowpack is comprised of last week's storm snow. It is mostly 4-finger hardness with about 15 cm of Fist hardness snow at the surface. 

- There is layer of small surface hoar (~5mm) down 60cm that was buried in early December. The mid-pack is mostly 1-finger hardness snow, with about 5cm of weaker facets just below the surface hoar.

-The base of the pack is made up of larger, moist, facetted crystals. Remnants of the early November rain crust were present but it has almost completely decomposed. 

Test Results:

-Moderate, resistant planar shears in the top 30cm. There were 3 indistinct shear layers, all failing in the moderate range. The snow crystals at the shears were small groupel and rimed new snow. 

-Hard, sudden planar compression test results on the surface hoar down 60cm.

-No results at the basal crust/facets 

Avalanche Activity: Nothing recent. A few size 2 avalanches out of very steep north facing terrain that looked about 5 days old, all on unsupported features in the alpine. Some ski cutting of small unsupported features at treeline and below showed no sign of instability. 

Overall the snowpack is feeling good this year. Ski quality was excellent with a dusting of light powder over last week's storm snow.

Happy Turns,

Jeff Volp

Ski Guide

Kimberley, BC