Small wind slabs on Chickadee Ridge

Location Name: 
Chickadee Ridge
Region: 
Mount Rose Area
Date and time of observation: 
Wed, 12/20/2017 - 11:45
Location Map: 
United States
39° 17' 32.1144" N, 119° 54' 0.3096" W
See map: Google Maps
US


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

Toured the Chickadee Ridge area looking for signs of wind slab instability and signs of storm slab instability from new snow over near surface facets.

This area does not wind load particularly efficiently so wind slabs were small. Despite the small size, wind slabs were reactive. All wind slab observed were deposited on top of dense, previously wind packed surfaces.

Below treeline on wind protected N aspects, numerous hand pits revealed areas of new snow on top of old near surface facets, but the 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) of storm snow was insufficient to produce a problematic storm slab. No signs of storm slab instability were seen in this area.

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Yes
Cloud Cover: 
25% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Moderate
Precipitation: 
None
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
West