Isothermal snowpack at Becker

Location Name: 
Becker Peak
Region: 
Echo Summit Area
Date and time of observation: 
Tue, 12/04/2012 - 12:00
Location Map: 
United States
38° 49' 55.128" N, 120° 3' 31.968" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Obvious avalanche path
Terrain Trap
Observation made by: Professional Observer
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Pit: Snowpack almost entirely undergoing wet metamorphism. Previous crusts are breaking down and losing ice-ice bonds. Snow from weekend rain event (37-64cm) very weak, but column tests show distinctly non-planar results and no signs of propagation.

Pic: Settlement, wet snow, and uneven ground interrupting layering of snowpack. HS at this location 50-80cm. Steep start zones at Becker Peak showing similar surface features.

Thin, breakable crust along Becker Ridge provided good skier support w/ 5-15cm ski pen and 40cm+ boot pen. Although I did not descend to Echo Lake, due to supportable nature of even thin snow in this area and snow visible to lake level on S aspects across lake, it appears possible to do so. Echo Lake remains unfrozen.

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
100% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Light
Precipitation: 
Mixed rain and snow
Air temperature trend: 
Static
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Accumulation rate: 
Less than 1 in. per hour
More detailed information about the weather: 

Very light mixed rain and snow began ~12pm with a slight increase in precip rate at ~1pm