Wet Snow in the Southern Madison

We rode into the Taylor Fork, up to the weather station, and out towards the wilderness boundary. Temperatures were around 40 degrees at the car. There was a surficial refreeze last night with a skiff of graupel on top. With mostly sunny skies and calm winds the snow surface dampened quickly. 

We dug down on two sunny aspects (E-SE) and noted moist snow throughout the snowpack. In our first snowpit (9220', HS:108) we did not get notable test results (ECTX). We found that although faceted snow remains at the base of the snowpack, water has percolated down and moistened these basal layers. 

We also dug on a NW aspect (8800', HS:199) with no notable test results (ECTX). Moist snow exists in the upper 1.5' of the snowpack with dry snow to the ground. 

We noted no cracking or collapsing. We saw a good number of wet-loose avalanches on steep sunny slopes, but all were relatively small in width and depth.