Wet Snow on Fireplug and Mt. Rose

Location Name: 
Fireplug/Mt. Rose
Region: 
Mount Rose Area
Date and time of observation: 
Wed, 03/29/2017 - 12:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 20' 14.7048" N, 119° 54' 33.4476" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Recent avalanche activity
Rapid warming
Obvious avalanche path
Observation made by: Forecaster
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Areas of cold soft snow still existed on shaded true N facing slopes above 8700 ft. until at least 10 am this morning. Any NW-N-NE slopes that had received sun held thin breakable sun crusts at this time. Sun-exposed NE-E aspects also started to release small loose wet point releases around 10 am. Below 8700 ft. the snow on northerly aspects became wet and sticky by 10 am. On sun exposed SW-S-SE aspects, 1-2 inches of wet snow had formed above the supportable crust by 10:30 am. Supportable melt-freeze conditions existed until between 11:00 am and 12:30 pm after that time deep wet snow existed on the sun-exposed aspects. This wet snow had not quite transitioned to corn snow and remained slow and sticky even on the southerly aspects.

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
Clear
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Calm
Air temperature trend: 
Warming