Observations from West Fireplug.

Location Name: 
West Fireplug
Region: 
Mount Rose Area
Date and time of observation: 
Fri, 01/22/2016 - 13:30
Location Map: 
United States
39° 19' 41.1708" N, 119° 54' 48.9456" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Recent loading by new snow, wind, or rain
Observation made by: Forecaster
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

No signs of instability observed while on tour in the Fireplug and West Fireplug areas today. Examining a skier/splitboarder triggered avalanche (see Jan 19 avalanche observation) revealed no signs of continued instability today either at the crown or in the pit dug on a lower angle adjacent slope. No signs of a persistent weak layer were seen in either the crown or adjacent snowpit.

New snow amounts in the area were 4 to 6 cm by 2:30 pm with snowfall rates of 2 to 3 cm per hour observed at 1:30 pm. Blowing snow was visible and wind slab formation along ridgelines was in it's very early stages.

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Yes
Cloud Cover: 
100% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Moderate
Precipitation: 
Snow
Air temperature trend: 
Static
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Accumulation rate: 
Greater than 1 in. per hour
More detailed information about the weather: 

Driving over Mount Rose Hwy (NV431) and Brockway Summit (CA267) between 2:30 pm and 3:15 pm indicated that snow level was around 6,600' to 6,900' on the Lake Tahoe Basin of Hwy 431 and on either side of Hwy 267 summit.