Poor Structure on Monument Peak

Location Name: 
Upper Fulstone Canyon
Region: 
East Shore Area
Observation Date & Time: 
Monday, February 10, 2020 - 10:00
Location: 
38.923282, -119.895666
See map: CalTopo
Is this an Avalanche Observation?: 
No



Terrain Alerts: 
Slopes Steeper than 30 degrees
Terrain Matches the Advisory
Observation made by: Public

Tabs

Observation
Description of Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Conditions: 

Dug a quick test pit outside one of the backcountry gates at Heavenly. Snow depth in this zone was ~1.8 m, and was clearly in a wind drifted zone. The surface had been hammered by the NE winds from the last two weeks. Structure was poor throughout snowpack, with a variety of crusts, and faceted crystals at multiple depths. Despite this, pit tests showed no obvious signs of instability, as there was no contiguous slab overlaying any of the weaker crust/facet combos. Overall, the snowpack and the snow surfaces everywhere in this zone are locked up from the relentless winds and sun over the last few weeks. 

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Hide Snowpack Details
Total Snow Depth: 
180cm
Persistent Weak Layers: 
Buried
Hide Terrain Details
Terrain: elevations: 
Near Treeline
Terrain: aspects: 
NE
E
Hide Weather Details
Elevation of Observation: 
Above 9000 ft.
Blowing Snow: 
None
Wind Direction: 
East
Wind Speed: 
Moderate
Sky Cover: 
Clear
Precipitation: 
None
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
BESbswy