Warm Snow on Relay Peak

Location Name: 
Relay Peak
Region: 
Mount Rose Area
Date and time of observation: 
Sat, 11/25/2017 - 14:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 18' 49.068" N, 119° 56' 46.68" W
See map: Google Maps
US



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

A mix of snow surface conditions existed ranging from firm icy crusts on shaded N aspects to wet sticky snow on sun-exposed E and W aspects to almost corn snow on sun-exposed southerly aspects. Below the surface, the snowpack consisted of a mix of crusts and melt-freeze snow on southerly aspects and a mix of crusts, cold, dry snow, and moist snow layers on northerly aspects. Snowpit tests and observations on north aspects at multiple elevations (9400 ft - ECTX PST 100/100 @9cm, 9800 ft - ECTX PST 100/100 @9cm, and a full pit at 10200 ft - see attached pit) showed good bonding within and between the layers in the snowpack. 

Daytime warming did create some areas of unsupportable wet snow on S-SW aspects below 9200 ft. Stepping off of my skis on these aspects resulted in sinking up to my ankles in wet snow. 

Photo 1: ECTX on a N aspect at 9800 ft. on Relay Peak. A PST performed at this location scored PST 100/100 (END) when I targeted the old snow near the bottom of the snowpack.

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
50% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Moderate
Precipitation: 
None
Air temperature trend: 
Static
Wind Direction: 
Southwest