Surface Hoar and Graupel on Silver Peak

Today we toured up Silver Peak from Pole Creek. Our primary objective was to travel through a variety of terrain and observe wind slab developemnt near and above treeline. We were also curious about overnight develoment of surface hoar, with afternoon/overnight snow expected and a significant load of new snow forecasted for this week. Surface hoar was found in clearings below treeline, and varied from 1mm up to 10mm in different areas. On the ridges, blowing snow was observed throughout the day, loading the lee slopes. Around 13:00, very light snow moved in. Some small (1-2mm) graupel was found at high elevations around 14:00. As the afternoon progressed, snowfall rates increased. Around 16:00, snow was accumulating well on our vehicles and the road.