Snowpack observations from Mt. Tallac

Location Name: 
Mt. Tallac
Region: 
Desolation Wilderness Area (including Emerald Bay)
Date and time of observation: 
Tue, 04/13/2010 - 12:35
Location Map: 
United States
38° 54' 31.7448" N, 120° 6' 3.9276" W
US


Red Flags: 
Recent avalanche activity
Recent loading by new snow, wind, or rain
Rapid warming

Observation made by: Forecaster
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Several natural point-release slides on E-SE-S aspects up to 9400'. Some skier triggered ones as well. Most of these slides looked to have happened yesterday with only a few more occurring today. Some skier triggered sluffs also occurred on E-NE-N facing slopes steeper than 40 degrees. On the E and some of the NE aspects these sluffs were wet new snow sliding on the old crusts. On the more N aspects these sluffs were drier new snow sliding on the old crusts. A thin, breakable wind crust existed on the wind-loaded slopes above treeline. Cold dry snow still remained on the N aspects down to 7500'. Above 8000' it was hard to feel the crust under this snow on these aspects; below 8000' dust on crust conditions existed. By midday sun exposed E-SE-S-SW aspects had sticky wet snow no the surface.

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
50% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Light
Precipitation: 
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Accumulation rate: 
More detailed information about the weather: