Rain up to 9500 ft. on Tamarack

Location Name: 
Tamarack Peak
Region: 
Mount Rose Area
Date and time of observation: 
Wed, 02/08/2017 - 23:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 18' 50.1876" N, 119° 54' 49.824" W
See map: Google Maps
US


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

Heavy rain and strong winds persisted through mid-day in the Mt. Rose area. Snow levels remained between 9300 and 9500 ft. during the morning. Below 9500 ft. the 4-6 inches of new snow from last night was saturated with rain and several loose wet instabilities occurred involving this snow including some pinwheels, roller balls, and small point releases. Below this layer, more wet snow existed, but drainage through these lower layers looked more established. Settlement cracks around trees, and probing indicated that the snowpack is consolidating and compressing. Ski kicks on wind loaded test slopes did not trigger any cracking nor did cornice pieces dropped onto test slopes. 

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
100% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Strong
Precipitation: 
Rain
Air temperature trend: 
Static
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Accumulation rate: 
Less than 1 in. per hour
More detailed information about the weather: 

Snow level between 9300 and 9500 ft. Strong winds but limited snow transport due to the high rain levels.