Wet Snow on Castle Peak

Location Name: 
Castle Peak
Region: 
Donner Summit Area
Date and time of observation: 
Tue, 02/03/2015 - 12:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 21' 56.034" N, 120° 21' 29.8548" W
See map: Google Maps
US



Observation made by: Forecaster
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

A thin surface rain crust with wet snow underneath it existed on northerly aspects on Castle Peak today. On the southerly sun-exposed aspects, 2-3 inches of soft corn snow existed on top of a supportable base by 12:30. Coverage on these aspects is growing increasingly thin and several areas of bare ground and exposed rocks existed on the southerly facing aspects.

Photos 1 & 2: The layer of softer snow below the old crusts on the northerly aspects was moist and completely rounded at the location noted on this observation. It readily clumped together when squeezed and bonding between rounded snow grains was visible upon magnification.

Photo 3: 2-3 inches of corn on top of a supportable base on a SW aspect at 8000 ft at 12:30 pm.

Photo 4: Coverage on the SW-W aspects on Castle Peak.

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
50% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Light
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Southwest