Observation from Talking Mountain

Location Name: 
Talking Mountain
Region: 
Echo Summit Area
Date and time of observation: 
Fri, 02/17/2017 - 12:00
Location Map: 
United States
38° 50' 4.3872" N, 120° 4' 17.4828" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Recent avalanche activity
Whumphing noises, shooting cracks, or collapsing
Recent loading by new snow, wind, or rain
Observation made by: Professional Observer
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Several inches on new snow fell overnight and into today in this area. Evidence of widespread past avalanche activity (likely a week old) was still visible and debris was only partially buried by new snow. Most of the main slide paths were still dotted with bits of avalanche debris.

At the ridgetops, winds were blowing snow and cornices were impressively large for this area. 

Photo 1: Loose snow slide beneath skin track on steeper below treeline terrain. No propogation beyond the length of a ski and multiple mit pits didn't reveal slab behavior in the area.

Photo 2: Loose snow slide in response to snowboard turn on steeper below treeline terrain. Similar elevation and aspect to skin track photo, but now on the down on a small convex slope. 

Photo 3: Strong ridgetop winds were blowing snow onto the lee slopes below. Winds increased in the early afternoon. 

Snowpack photos: 
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: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Accumulation rate: 
Less than 1 in. per hour
More detailed information about the weather: 

Temperatures noticeably warmed throughout the day. Hwy 50 was covered in snow in the morning and clear of snow (but wet) in the afternoon.