Breakable Crusts, Soft Snow, and Wind Scoured Surfaces above Ginny Lake

Location Name: 
Ginny Lake
Region: 
Mount Rose Area
Date and time of observation: 
Fri, 01/01/2016 - 11:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 17' 49.6932" N, 119° 57' 6.8616" W
See map: Google Maps
US



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

N-NE-E aspects sheltered from the east winds still held 10 to 12 inches of soft unconsolidated snow in the Ginny Lake and Incline Lake Peak area. Some W and ESE aspects also still had soft surface snow. The more sun-exposed SE-S-SW aspects had a thin breakable sun crust on the surface. Wind scoured firm surfaces existed on the near and above treeline N-NE-E aspects exposed to the east winds. Handpits, ski cuts on test slopes, quick snowpit tests, probing, and general observations did not reveal any large signs of instability. On some SW and W facing wind loaded test slopes very small breakable wind crusts measuring less than 2 inches in depth and not extending more than 3 ft down slope did exist.

Photo 1: The largest of the thin breakable wind crusts seen today.

Photo 2: The breakable sun crusts on sun exposed SE-S-SW aspects 

Photo 3: Wind scoured surfaces on a NE facing aspect along the ridgeline above Ginny Lake. 

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
25% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Calm
Air temperature trend: 
Warming