Snowpit from Elephant's Back / Red Lake

Location Name: 
Red Lake
Region: 
Carson Pass Area
Observation Date & Time: 
Saturday, January 23, 2021 - 12:30
Location: 
38.693262, -119.974334
Is this an Avalanche Observation?: 
No


Conditions Alerts:



Observation made by: Public

Tabs

Observation
Description of Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Conditions: 

An AIARE Level 1 guided group toured up from Red Lake parking area towards Elephant's Back Saturday 1/23/21 around 10:30 am. We dug snow pits at 8,250 ft elevation on the NW (328 degrees) aspect on an 18 degree slope. Winds were calm with mostly cloudy skies and some snow flurries. There was 1-3 inches of cold fresh snow on top of a hefty melt-freeze crust that was supportable. Air temp was 25 degrees. The instructor's 76 cm deep snow pit experienced a CTM sudden collapse at 16 controlled taps. The failure was approx. 44 cm down from the snow surface. A student group's snowpit compresssion test yielded a similar result. Another snowpit experienced no failure (CTN). The buried weak layer is suspected to be the December 11th facets which was very weak and sugary.. An extended column test was completed but the result was tossed due to human error. The propagation saw test  result was  EST-56/100 END. 

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Hide Snowpack Details
Total Snow Depth: 
76cm
Persistent Weak Layers: 
Buried
Hide Terrain Details
Terrain: elevations: 
Below Treeline
Terrain: aspects: 
NW
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Hide Terrain
Start Zone Slope Angle: 
18degrees
Aspect: 
Northwest
Starting Elevation: 
below-treeline
Hide Weather Details
Elevation of Observation: 
8000 - 9000 ft.
Blowing Snow: 
None
Wind Direction: 
Northeast
Wind Speed: 
Calm
Sky Cover: 
Broken - Mostly Cloudy - more than 4/8 and less than 8/8
Highest Precipitation Rate: 
Very Light Snowfall (S-1 = up to .5cm /~.25 in per hour)
Precipitation: 
Snow
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
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