Hot and windy at Blue Lakes

Location Name: 
Blue Lakes
Region: 
Carson Pass Area
Observation Date & Time: 
Monday, April 10, 2023 - 16:00
Location: 
38.680825, -119.929064
See map: CalTopo
Is this an Avalanche Observation?: 
Yes


Conditions Alerts:

  • Avalanche Activity
  • Rapid or Prolonged Warming
  • Rapid or Prolonged Warming›Rollerballs / Pinwheels
  • Rapid or Prolonged Warming›Strong Sunshine
  • Rapid or Prolonged Warming›Warm Temperatures
Observation made by: Professional Observer

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Observation
Description of Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Conditions: 

Hot and windy afternoon at Blue Lakes. Snow surfaces were moist to very wet, with ski and track penetration of several inches, and boot penetration up to shin deep. Old tracks were soft and didn't create jarring conditions when crossing them. 

I didn't see any wet loose activity around Blue Lakes, but there were two D2 natural avalanches in Woodfords Canyon that looked very recent. The last time I drove Woodfords Canyon on Saturday, the avalanches hadn't occurred yet.

Hide Avalanche Details
Avalanche Type: 
Wet Loose
Failure Plane/Weak Layer: 
Old Snow
Additional number of similar avalanches: 
2
Hide Trigger
Trigger: 
Natural
Hide Terrain
Start Zone Slope Angle: 
40degrees
Aspect: 
Northeast
Starting Elevation: 
below-treeline
Hide Size
Destructive Size: 
D2 Could bury, injure, or kill a person.
Relative Size: 
R3 Medium
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