Continued unstable snowpit test results on Jan 4 PWL, Stoney Ridge.

We toured out to Stoney Ridge this morning for comparison snowpit data tracking the progression of the Jan 4 PWL. We saw continued, repeatable unstable test results in this area today. We encountered no signs of instability outside of the snowpit. Whumpfing was observed in this area on Jan 19, but we encountered none today. The Jan 4 crust/facet layer is slowly rounding and increasing in moisture, but a substantial density change from the 1F hard slab above to the F+ hard weak layer below remains present.

A thick air temperature inversion cloud layer was visible over Lake Tahoe. Air temperatures above this inversion layer were well above freezing, measuring 6C (43F) at our pit location at 8,000' at 10:30 am. The snow surface was wet. Digging the snowpit and tossing shovel fulls of snow downslope triggered rollerballs and pinwheels larger than 1 foot in diameter.