Cold Soft Snow Lingering on North Aspects on Castle

Location Name: 
Castle Peak
Region: 
Donner Summit Area
Date and time of observation: 
Thu, 03/05/2015 - 14:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 22' 6.7548" N, 120° 21' 9.8856" W
See map: Google Maps
US


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

Sheltered northerly aspects still held cold soft snow in the Castle Peak area today. Snowpit data, ski cuts, and general observations on the NW-N-NE aspects all indicated that the recent snow and the snow below it continue to bond and did not reveal any signs of instabilities. Wind scoured icy surfaces existed on the exposed upper portions of the N-NE aspects near ridge lines. These scoured conditions quickly gave way to the soft unconsolidated snow as one traveled down slope. On ENE, E, W, and WNW aspects a breakable sun crust existed on the snow surface in some places and wet sticky snow existed in other places. On the more sun exposed SE-S-SW aspects, wet surface snow was widespread. Some very small skier triggered pinwheels less than 10 inches in diameter did occur on a S aspects at about 8200 ft.  

Photo 1: Scoured surface near the ridge line giving way to soft unconsolidated snow just down slope on a NE aspect at 8800 ft. Photo taken at the coordinates attached to this observation.

Photo 2: Sun crust on a W aspect at 8400 ft. 

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