West ridge Castle Pk snowpack observations

Location Name: 
W ridge Castle Pk
Region: 
Donner Summit Area
Date and time of observation: 
Tue, 02/09/2016 - 11:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 21' 52.9992" N, 120° 21' 35.0316" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Observation made by: Educator at Donner Summit Avalanche Seminars
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

NNW slope (8200 + ft) on W ridge of Castle peak today revealed very hard surface snows: boot pen ranged from 5 cm to crampon-ready.  This area heavily wind-impacted from E winds 20160207.  Old ski tracks in bas-relief visible in background (photo).  Upper 70 cm of snowpack (HS = 300 cm) laced with several bands of P+ hard rounds and frozen (previous) melt forms.  Weakest snows (1F+, small facets/NC facets) existed just above upper crust, but column tests (CTN 2x, ECTX 2x) revealed no fractures.  Surface snow temp = -4.5 C; airT = 10.0 C.  We moved 30 m to the east into an area of softer wind-blown snows (boot pen = ankle) in a protected wind eddy and performed an RB on a 35 degree slope.  RB6 PB on same weak grains just above upper most hard crust.  Sunny aspects good skiing at 1000, sloppy at 1200.

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Light
Precipitation: 
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Northeast
Accumulation rate: 
More detailed information about the weather: