Snowpack observations from Waterhouse Peak

Location Name: 
Waterhouse Peak
Region: 
Luther Pass Area (including Job and Freel)
Date and time of observation: 
Fri, 01/28/2011 - 12:00
Location Map: 
United States
38° 46' 27.1596" N, 119° 57' 40.572" W
See map: Google Maps
US


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

On the northerly aspects between 7700 ft. and 9400 ft, a variable crust existed on the snow surface. Sometimes it could support a skier and provided a hard frozen surface. Sometimes it was breakable and thin and did not support the weight of a skier. Beneath this crust a layer of weak, sugary snow existed on these aspects.

On the southerly aspects up to 9200 ft, melt-freeze conditions existed. By noon the top 2-3 inches of the snowpack had softened into corn snow. It rested on a thick refrozen layer of melt-freeze snow that ranged from 4-8 inches in thickness. Below this frozen layer less strong and less frozen melt freeze snow existed all the way to the ground. 

Snowpit videos (tests, etc): 

MVI 1064

MVI 1065

Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Cloud Cover: 
Clear
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Light
Precipitation: 
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Northwest
Accumulation rate: 
More detailed information about the weather: 

Air temperature at noon at 9200 ft was 48 deg. F. The winds had just started to increase and shifted to the northwest after being calm most of the morning.