Snowpit on Powderhouse Peak

Location Name: 
Powderhouse Peak
Region: 
Luther Pass Area (including Job and Freel)
Date and time of observation: 
Tue, 12/18/2012 - 12:15
Location Map: 
United States
38° 46' 59.052" N, 119° 58' 41.736" W
See map: Google Maps
US


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

The snowpack in this area currently has two weak layers that are less stable than the Dec 2 facet layer. The first layer is at the base of the surface wind slab where higher density new snow was deposited on top of lower density snow from Dec 12. The second weak layer is a thin layer of faceted snow crystals that has formed directly on top of the rain crust that caps the Dec 2 facet layer. This is a newly formed facet layer. This layer repeatedly failed while attempting to isolate test columns.

Video 1: Failure layers of upper snowpack following PST on Dec 2 facet layer. Note* In the video I mention my location incorrectly as Waterhouse Peak when I was at the noted lat/long on Powderhouse Peak.

Video 2: Failure layers of upper snowpack following ECTPV result #3.

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Snowpit videos (tests, etc): 

20121218 Powderhouse 002

20121218 Powderhouse 003

Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
75% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Light
Precipitation: 
Snow
Air temperature trend: 
Cooling
Wind Direction: 
West
Accumulation rate: 
More detailed information about the weather: 

Sunny skies in the morning gave way to off and on snow showers with graupel from 11:30am onward.