More warm and wet weather on Donner Peak

Location Name: 
Donner Peak
Region: 
Donner Summit Area
Date and time of observation: 
Tue, 03/04/2014 - 09:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 18' 32.436" N, 120° 18' 40.536" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Recent avalanche activity
Whumphing noises, shooting cracks, or collapsing
Recent loading by new snow, wind, or rain
Rapid warming
Obvious avalanche path
Terrain Trap
Observation made by: Professional Observer
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Top 40 cm of snowpack the sum of many small precipt events last few days on Donner Summit--rain, snow, rain/snow mix.  20 cm new snow overnight is not bonding well with harder (yesterday's) surface crusts on S aspects.  ECTNs around buried rain crusts from the past days.  Wet loose snow avx starting about 0900.  First photo of a few loose snow avx in steep terrain nearby.  Second photo of three buried rain/surf crust around which the snow was failing with ECTs and CTs.  All snow layers observed warm, wet, weak.

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
100% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Light
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
More detailed information about the weather: 

Summit in fog, and warming rapidly with rising sun.  Clear rime ice falling off trees; can feel intense diffuse heat through cloud.  Winds now light but evidence of some siginificant drifting/deposition overnight.