6'' New Snow and NE Winds on Tamarack Peak

Location Name: 
Tamarack Peak
Region: 
Mount Rose Area
Date and time of observation: 
Sun, 12/30/2012 - 10:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 19' 5.5416" N, 119° 55' 18.6708" W
See map: Google Maps
US


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

6'' of new snow overnight in the Mt. Rose area with light snowfall through the morning decreasing to scattered snow showers in the mid day.  Before 9am NE winds were strong and moving moderate amounts of snow onto SE-S-SW aspects at the higher elevations and more exposed terrain.  Fresh wind pillows on SE-S-SW were up to 1.5' deep with shooting cracks and cracking.  All of these were very small and on low angle terrain in this area and posed no threat to backcountry travelers.  Other exposed terrain more conducive to wind slab development from NE winds could have presented more of a problem for backcountry users.  Exposed N-E aspects were scoured with heavy amounts of wind texture.  NE winds did decrease to moderate by 10am and snow transport declined.

New snow bonded well with the old snow surface, some sluffing was noted in steeper terrain.

Photo#1 and #2:  Cracking, shooting cracks and small wind slab failure on Tamarack Peak.  SE-S-SW aspects 9900'.

Photo #3:  Top of Hourglass Bowl wind scoured.

 

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Yes
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Strong
Precipitation: 
Snow
Air temperature trend: 
Static
Wind Direction: 
Northeast
Accumulation rate: 
Less than 1 in. per hour
More detailed information about the weather: 

9:45am, 8927', NE of the bottom of Hourglass Bowl
A-Temp -10c, T-Surf -8, T-20 -9

Boot Pen 40cm, Ski Pen 25cm.

HS 255cm, 12/2 rain crust buried down 155cm.