Intense Blowing Snow and Snowpack Obs

Light snow was falling in Johnson Canyon this morning at 8am and picked up in intensity around 11am.  Around 2-3'' of new snow fell during this time.  The snow stopped and clouds cleared out by early afternoon with great views of the surrounding peaks and mountains.  We could see intense blowing snow and pluming over the Sierra Crest.  In Johnson Canyon, winds were not as severe but a moderate amount of snow was being transported along the power line ridge.  We did a test pit just below 7000' on a shaded East aspect test slope.  The Jan 4 and Dec 31 rain crusts were very easy to identify.  Neither of these crusts produced results at this location.