Snowpits from Andesite Ridge

Location Name: 
Andesite Ridge-Castle Peak Area
Region: 
Donner Summit Area
Date and time of observation: 
Fri, 12/04/2009 - 11:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 21' 1.008" N, 120° 21' 48.06" W
See map: Google Maps
US


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

Dug 2 snowpits on Andesite Ridge in the Castle Peak area.  Snow depth at 8000' was in the 20-30cm range.  The road up to Castle Pass was mostly all snow covered and packed out.  The main concern in both pits was the basal faceted layer where all the shears occurred.  Currenlty, fracture propagation unlikely but will be something to watch with the upcoming storms. 

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
25% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Calm
Precipitation: 
None
Air temperature trend: 
Cooling
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Accumulation rate: 
None
More detailed information about the weather: