Observations from Angora

Location Name: 
Angora
Region: 
Echo Summit Area
Date and time of observation: 
Wed, 01/13/2010 - 12:45
Location Map: 
United States
38° 52' 6.996" N, 120° 4' 15.78" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Recent loading by new snow, wind, or rain
Observation made by: Professional Observer
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

First video from an E facing slope at 7600ft - the elevation at which the melt freeze crust became consistently in its frozen state. Bonding between new snow and crust below 7600 was very good. Between 7600 and 8400 bonding was good, but showed signs of decreasing with elevation.

 

Second video from pit location just below my high point of 8400. See notes in pit profile.

 

My travels today avoided slopes loaded by wind slab. No whumphing or shooting cracks. Towards my high point, very small slab fractures within the thin and soft wind slab appeared on swithcback cuts.

 

On both my my ascent and descent, the cloud cover cleared enough for a good view of the N aspect of Echo peak above Upper Angora Lake. This area is very avalanche prone, but no signs of natural activity were seen. But as with Angora, Echo is mid-elevation and likely received less wind deposition than higher, more exposed slopes.

 

 

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Any other comments about the observation or links to outside pages that have more info on the observation: 

 

Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Cloud Cover: 
100% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Light
Precipitation: 
Snow
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Northwest
Accumulation rate: 
Less than 1 in. per hour
More detailed information about the weather: 

Mid afternoon the cloud cover dissipated and very rapid warming was observed.