Observations from Echo Lakes area

Location Name: 
Talking Mountain
Region: 
Echo Summit Area
Date and time of observation: 
Fri, 04/23/2010 - 10:00
Location Map: 
United States
38° 49' 58.1556" N, 120° 4' 8.634" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Recent avalanche activity
Recent loading by new snow, wind, or rain
Rapid warming
Observation made by: Professional Observer
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Pic #1 and 2: Last night's wet precip, followed by warm humidity, followed by cold, clear early morning formed widespread surface crusts and surface hoar. Heat and sun destroyed both quickly, except crusts in shaded aspects (more developed in lower elevations).

Pic #3: This wind loaded NE aspect just shy of Becker Peak's summit was protected from N NE winds and remained loaded, and heated enough by 9am to result in skier triggered roller balls, but no cracking or slab formation.

Pic #4: N aspect of Talking Mountain was scoured by N NE winds, all the way down to old melt freeze forms. Looking N, Ralston, Pyramid, etc appeared similarly scoured. Some slab deposits on S aspects, but only high on ridge - just below ridge on S aspects slabs were very thin and no concern.

I skied N facing trees of Talking down to Upper Echo, ski cutting hard on steep convex rolls in the trees with no results. Surface crust evident from the summit, but didn't really interfere with skiing til lower elevations.

Snowpack photos: 
Any other comments about the observation or links to outside pages that have more info on the observation: 

Thank you to the SAC Board, to Andy and Brandon, and to all my partners - esp David Reichel - who were patient with me as I dug around in the snow this winter!

Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
Clear
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Light
Precipitation: 
None
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
North
Accumulation rate: 
None
More detailed information about the weather: