Warming on Donner Summit

Location Name: 
Mt. Judah
Region: 
Donner Summit Area
Date and time of observation: 
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 08:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 18' 10.2816" N, 120° 19' 1.8336" W
See map: Google Maps
US


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

Surface snow texture and snow depostion from previous NE winds last evening/night.  Some very minor cracking from this wind event on W and SW aspects on the Mt. Judah ridgeline.  Cornices have gained strength but were still able to fail with heavy ski kicking-none of the cornice activity produced any instabilities in the slopes below.  Ski cutting and cornice drops in a variety of elevations did not produce any slope instabilities.  Overall, very little evidence of previous avalanche activity in this area.  Below 7500' there was very limited natural surface roller ball activity.      

Photo #1:  Wildflower Ridge, 7600'.  Showing the corniced ridge with some small natural avalanche activity occuring sometime during the past storm cycle.

Photo #2: Ski kick on cornice on Wildflower Ridge.  No results on slope below.

Photo #3:  Mt. Judah corniced ridgeline.  Some small natural avalanche activity covered up by newer storm snow. 

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Yes
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Moderate
Precipitation: 
None
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Northwest
Accumulation rate: 
More detailed information about the weather: 

Cold early morning with moderate NW winds blowing enough snow to fill in the skin track.  Winds shifted around back to SW and decreased by late morning.  50% cloud cover in the early morning increasing to 100% by mid day.  Early afternoon considerable warming was occuring with most trees below 7800' dripping heavily and loosing most of there snow.