Facets on Tamarack

Location Name: 
Far East Ridge of Tamarack Peak
Region: 
Mount Rose Area
Date and time of observation: 
Tue, 01/07/2014 - 15:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 18' 47.43" N, 119° 54' 23.7168" W
See map: Google Maps
US


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

Snow coverage in the Tamarack area has decreased. The SE-S-SW-W aspects had virtually no snow on them. The E aspects had patchy coverage, and the NW-N-NE aspects also had some patches of bare ground starting to show. Where snow coverage existed on these northerly aspects, the snowpack consisted of facetted snow from top to bottom in most places. A few of the more exposed slopes did have a thin and firm wind crust on the surface. Tests and observations indicated that the Dec. 7th facets remianed in the bottom third of the snowpack and that they remained weak. However, data also indicated that the snow above them has ceased to represent a slab layer taking away one of the key avalanche ingredients: the slab.

Photo: Patchy snow coverage on a NE aspect at 9000 ft.

Video: An ECTN and a PST SF showing how fractures are unlikely to propagate through the Dec. 7th facets at this time.  

Snowpack photos: 
Snowpit videos (tests, etc): 

ECTN and PSTSF on Tamarack Peak

Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Cloud Cover: 
25% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Moderate
Precipitation: 
Air temperature trend: 
Cooling
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Accumulation rate: 
More detailed information about the weather: