Snow Flurries and Wind on the West Shore

Location Name: 
Rubicon Peak
Region: 
West Shore Area
Date and time of observation: 
Tue, 02/02/2016 - 12:00
Location Map: 
United States
38° 59' 20.3928" N, 120° 8' 0.564" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Recent loading by new snow, wind, or rain
Observation made by: Forecaster
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Snow flurries throughout the morning and early afternoon hours totaling around 1-2''.  Gusty SW winds in the upper elevations but mainly staying in the light range.  Minimal snow transport observed in the area but some refill of skin track limited to the upper 200' of peak.  Some scouring near summit area from the NE winds from Sunday/Monday.  Minimal localized cracking in some wind pillows near the summit. 

A test pit dug at 8550' on a north aspect showed a well bonded upper snowpack.  There was no weakness observed around the 1/29 rain crust and no major weaknesses within the recent new storm snow.  CT's and ECT's showed little to no results.

Photo:  Wind texture, scouring, and wind deposits in the 200' area below the summit

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Yes
Cloud Cover: 
100% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Light
Precipitation: 
Snow
Air temperature trend: 
Static
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Accumulation rate: 
Less than 1 in. per hour
More detailed information about the weather: