Snowpit on Jake's Peak

Location Name: 
Jake's Peak
Region: 
West Shore Area
Date and time of observation: 
Wed, 03/16/2011 - 12:35
Location Map: 
United States
38° 58' 1.74" N, 120° 7' 3.3672" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Recent loading by new snow, wind, or rain
Obvious avalanche path
Observation made by: Forecaster
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Wind-loading during the storm created hard wind slabs on the exposed N-NE-E aspects near and above treeline. Ski cuts on some of these slabs did not result in avalanches. However, some stability tests indicated that the bonds holding these wind slabs to the snowpack could fracture in response to the added weight of a person. Other ski cuts on slopes that had been undercut did result in shooting cracks. These variable results indicate that areas of instability still exist. They also suggest that these areas of instability will lurk in larger areas of seemingly stable snow.

Below 8000 skier-triggered loose snow sluffs occurred on steep N-NE facing test slopes. These sluffs were a ski width wide and would entrain all of the snow. They slide on the wet snow surface left from yesterday's warmth and rain.

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Yes
Cloud Cover: 
75% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Moderate
Precipitation: 
Snow
Air temperature trend: 
Cooling
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Accumulation rate: 
Less than 1 in. per hour
More detailed information about the weather: