Wet snow obs on Tallac

Location Name: 
Mt. Tallac
Region: 
Desolation Wilderness Area (including Emerald Bay)
Date and time of observation: 
Thu, 03/31/2011 - 12:45
Location Map: 
United States
38° 54' 42.9228" N, 120° 5' 59.9784" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Rapid warming
Obvious avalanche path
Observation made by: Forecaster
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Widespread wet snow in nearly all areas on Mt. Tallac by mid day. At 10am, wet snow up to 6 inches deep existed on all aspects below 7,000'. Above 8,000' significant wet snow was limited to solar aspects with up to 4 inches of wet snow. Only 1-2 inches of wet snow on the snow surface on northerly aspects above 8,000'. Above 9,200', a cold snow surface remained on true N aspects at 1pm.

Photo 1: Runnels in most areas on E-SE-S aspects indicating good drainage of free water out of the recent storm snow. Runnels existed all the way to the summit of the E aspect Corkscrew avalanche path at 9,100'. Runnels existed only up to about 8,000'-8,200' in the upper Tallac Creek bowl which has a more NE to ENE general aspect.

Photo 2: Natural trigger roller ball activity observed at 12:45 pm in upper Tallac Creek bowl at noted lat/long on the ESE aspect N edge of the bowl at 9,000'-9,200'. No recent roller ball activity observed in areas where runnels existed.

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
Clear
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Calm
Precipitation: 
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Accumulation rate: 
More detailed information about the weather: