Corn and Melt Freeze Crusts on Relay Peak

Location Name: 
Relay
Region: 
Mount Rose Area
Date and time of observation: 
Fri, 03/27/2015 - 12:30
Location Map: 
United States
39° 18' 42.9408" N, 119° 56' 3.9048" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Obvious avalanche path
Observation made by: Forecaster
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

2-4 inches of corn snow existed above a supportable melt freeze crust on most E-SE aspects where snow cover existed. In some isolated areas on the E aspects where trees provided some shade to the slopes, the recent snow had not fully transitioned to corn snow and remained wet and sticky. On the NE and N aspects a mix of wet, sticky surface snow and thin melt freeze crusts on top of moist snow. Ski cuts on E and SE aspects did trigger some minor insignificant roller balls, and a few small (less than 8 inches in diameter), isolated pinwheels did occur on some sun-exposed NE and N aspects.

Photo 1: 2-3 inches of corn on top of a supportable melt-freeze crust on a E aspect at 9300 ft.

Photo 2: Snow cover on the E aspects in the lookers left of the photo and dirt on the SE-S apsects on the lookers right of the photo.

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Cloud Cover: 
Clear
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Light
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Southwest