Warm day on Echo

Location Name: 
Echo Peak
Region: 
Echo Summit Area
Date and time of observation: 
Sat, 04/16/2011 - 12:00
Location Map: 
United States
38° 51' 22.0248" N, 120° 4' 17.1948" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Rapid warming
Obvious avalanche path
Observation made by: Professional Observer
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Warm and sunny day at Echo/Angora. Solar aspects still showing melt channels from last warming cycle, and continue to move free water. Minimal recent snow on solar aspects has transitioned to spring melt/freeze conditions and bonded well to old firm surface just underneath.

Pic 1: On N aspects where recent snow is slightly deeper, surface snow has not yet transitioned to melt/freeze and is easy to push downhill on top of harder layer underneath.

Pic 2: Spring build-up failed to produce any precip today. Loose snow debris appears to be from yesterday, and large crown older.

No natural wet slides observed today, but small human triggered were easy to initiate by pushing snow downhill. Not enough snow available to entrain large amounts, except in terrain traps.

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Light
Precipitation: 
None
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
West
Accumulation rate: 
None
More detailed information about the weather: