Snow, wind, and poor viz at Blue Lakes

Location Name: 
Charity Valley
Region: 
Carson Pass Area
Observation Date & Time: 
Thursday, February 23, 2023 - 13:00
Location: 
38.660099, -119.921199
See map: CalTopo
Is this an Avalanche Observation?: 
No


Conditions Alerts:

  • Recent Loading
  • Recent Loading›Blowing Snow
  • Recent Loading›More Than a Foot of New Snow
  • Recent Loading›Snowfall Rates of More Than 1 in/hr

Terrain Alerts: 
Trigger Points
Terrain Traps
Terrain Matches the Advisory
Observation made by: Professional Observer

Tabs

Observation
Description of Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Conditions: 

1.5ft of recent snow observed in wind sheltered areas around Blue Lakes Rd today. Winds were moving significant amounts of new snow, making visibility difficult in any open areas. We avoided wind loaded terrain as much for visibility purposes as for avalanche avoidance. Multiple test slopes in wind sheltered areas did not produce cracking. Below the new snow, I found a light crust with facets under it in areas without previous tracks. With soft, unconsolidated snow above the facets in the locations we traveled today, we did not observe a slab above this potential weak layer, and ECTs only partially propagated on it. I did not test this layer in wind loaded terrain today.

BESbswy