Large Pinwheels on Incline Lake Peak

Location Name: 
Incline Lake and Rose Knob Peak
Region: 
Mount Rose Area
Date and time of observation: 
Thu, 03/09/2017 - 11:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 17' 39.174" N, 119° 56' 53.8836" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Rapid warming
Observation made by: Forecaster
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Ski cuts triggered large pinwheels and roller balls on sun-exposed SE-S-SW aspects at all elevations. Some of these pinwheels reached up to 8 ft. In diameter. These loose wet instabilities entrained about 1 ft of wet snow on the snow surface. Deep, wet, sticky snow that had not transitioned to corn snow existed on E-SE-S-SW-W aspects at all elevations. Some cold unconsolidated snow still existed on N aspects above 9200 ft. Below this elevation, areas of wet sticky snow and breakable crusts existed on northerly aspects.

Photos 1 & 2: Large pinwheels and roller balls on steep sun-exposed aspects.

Photo 3: Divots and runnels created by the recent warming.

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Cloud Cover: 
25% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Light
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Southwest