Near Surface Facets on shaded aspects

Location Name: 
Red Lake Peak
Region: 
Carson Pass Area
Date and time of observation: 
Sat, 02/21/2015 - 12:00
Location Map: 
United States
38° 43' 14.286" N, 119° 58' 29.4132" W
See map: Google Maps
US


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

Pic: Although from a distance, shaded apsects appeared to be firm and icy with drifts of loose snow, the melt freeze crust was actually quite thin and breakable, with near surface facets just underneath.

Video: Snowpack on shaded aspects consisted of mostly facets and crusts, with the dominant crust near the surface quite thick and strong. NSFs at the surface could be an issue if a slab develops on top of them. NSFs observed on shaded aspects as low as 8400ft and became more consistent near treeline.

Snowpack photos: 
Snowpit videos (tests, etc): 

20140221 NSFs on rain crust

Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
Clear
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Moderate
Precipitation: 
None
Air temperature trend: 
Cooling
Wind Direction: 
West
Accumulation rate: 
None
More detailed information about the weather: