Wet Snow on Becker Peak

Location Name: 
Becker Peak
Region: 
Echo Summit Area
Date and time of observation: 
Wed, 02/10/2016 - 14:00
Location Map: 
United States
38° 49' 53.3172" N, 120° 3' 20.8188" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Rapid warming
Observation made by: Forecaster
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Wet snow existed on all aspects below 8000 ft. in the Becker Peak area today. On the northerly aspects wet, sticky surface snow up to 10cm deep existed. Small human triggered pinwheels and roller balls occured on steep test slopes on these northerly aspects this afternoon. Pit data on the northerly aspects did not show any signs of buried weak layers and showed moist snow down to the rain crust (ECTN 30 @ the top of the rain crust, PST 100/100 on the top of the rain crust and on the rounded snow between rain crusts). On the southerly aspects, a melt freeze crust existed under 5 to 7cm of soft melt freeze snow. This melt freeze crust was only about 5cm thick and would not support a person on foot as of 1pm. Stepping onto the south aspects without skis I would sink into wet snow up to mid-shin. Driving past Emerald Bay at 2:50pm, I saw some new loose wet avalanches on E aspects. One of these had pushed some debris onto the road.

Photo 1: Small roller balls and pinwheels on a steep N facing aspect at 8000 ft.

Photo 2: Shin deep wet snow on a S aspect @ 2pm @ 7900 ft. 

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
25% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Calm
Precipitation: 
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Accumulation rate: 
More detailed information about the weather: 

Some high clouds for much of the day.