Dust on Breakable Crust on Wet Snow on Andesite

Location Name: 
Andesite Ridge
Region: 
Donner Summit Area
Date and time of observation: 
Thu, 03/30/2017 - 13:30
Location Map: 
United States
39° 21' 3.69" N, 120° 21' 59.904" W
See map: Google Maps
US


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

A dusting of new snow existed on top of a breakable crust on all aspects in the Andesite Peak area today. Below this crust several feet of unsupportable wet snow remains. Above 8000 ft. the crust was slightly more frozen and more supportable. New snow amounts in this area totaled less than an inch and wind slabs remained very small and insignificant. The deepest wind loading was only about 2 inches deep and only extended less than a foot or two downslope. Strong winds continued to scour and transport the new snow throughout the day. As the winds shifted more to the NW and N they scoured some areas along ridgelines and on the NW-N-NE aspects down to the rain crust. 

Photo 1: Small 2 inch deep wind slab on a wind-loaded test slope at 8000 ft. 

Photo 2: A dusting of new snow on top of a breakable crust with wet snow down to the handle of the inverted pole at 7800 ft. 

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Yes
Cloud Cover: 
50% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Strong
Precipitation: 
Snow
Air temperature trend: 
Cooling
Wind Direction: 
Northwest
Accumulation rate: 
Less than 1 in. per hour