Public Observation
Observation Details
Observation Date:
November 23, 2022Submitted:
November 23, 2022Zone or Region:
OtherActivity:
XC Skiing/SnowshoeingLocation:
On the shores of Little Payette LakeSigns of Unstable Snow
Did you see shooting cracks?
NoDid you experience collapsing or whumpfing?
Yes, IsolatedObservations
As I was cross country skiing along the shore of Little Payette, I noticed my skis collapsed through the snow. The snow was only about one foot thick but I discovered there were big voids in some places. I knelt over to see what happened to the snow, and I discovered the snow was being held above the ground by ice towers that were about 4 to 6 inches tall. i think they are huge depth hoar crystals. I wonder how much depth hoar is on the slopes? We have had several weeks of cold clear weather, and the mud flats of the lake have lots of moisture to form hoar frost.
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