Corn on Castle

Location Name: 
Castle Peak
Region: 
Donner Summit Area
Date and time of observation: 
Sun, 02/15/2015 - 14:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 21' 57.456" N, 120° 21' 22.9032" W
See map: Google Maps
US



Observation made by: Forecaster
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

By 2:30 pm about 1-2 inches of soft corn snow had formed on the W aspects of Castle Peak. 2-4 inches existed on the SW aspects at that time, and .5-1 inch had formed on the NW aspects up to 8600 ft. This wet soft snow rested above a supportable base of melt-freeze snow. Ski cuts and general observations did not reveal or trigger any signs of loose wet instabilities. Running water existed in the gullies on the SW face of Castle.

On the northerly aspects some softening also occurred and the snow surface was a mix of firm melt freeze crusts and soft wet snow. Snowpit data on a NNW aspect at 8500 ft. showed a well bonded and strong snowpack consisting of the softer surface snow above a thick rain crust with wet snow below that.

Photo 1: 2 inches of corn snow on a W aspect @ 2:30 pm @ 8500 ft.

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
25% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Moderate
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
East
More detailed information about the weather: 

High thin clouds developed in the afternoon.