Observations from West Grouse

Location Name: 
West Grouse
Region: 
Blackwood Canyon or Ward Canyon Area
Date and time of observation: 
Tue, 01/12/2016 - 12:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 7' 42.8016" N, 120° 15' 6.426" W
See map: Google Maps
US



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

Searching for the Jan 5 buried surface hoar layer in this area today came up empty handed. Five testpits were dug between 7,800' and 8,300' in near treeline and below treeline NW-N-NE aspect open areas with +/- 5 mm surface hoar present on the snow surface. All tests performed produced ECTN and CTH results within the top 60 cm of the snowpack. On NW aspects, a few surface hoar 3 to 4 mm SH crystals were visible post ECTN results at the Jan 5 interface, but nothing like what exists in areas where this weak layer is reactive. Testpit locations were 39.130504, -120.246401 | 39.130188, -120.248734 | 39.125862, -120.247665 | 39.128739, -120.250327 | 39.128556, -120.251785.

Jan 9 SH layer produced easy shears about 4 cm below the snow surface with SH crystals around 5 mm in size.

No signs of instability were observed today in the area toured.

Photo: Minor amount of old snow wind transport occurring during gusts over Sierra Crest on the S side of Grouse Rock. No new wind slabs were formed as of 1:30 pm.

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Cloud Cover: 
50% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Moderate
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
More detailed information about the weather: 

SW winds became light to moderate over ridgetops beginning around noon.