Shallow wet snow on the surface on Red Lake Peak

Location Name: 
Red Lake Peak
Region: 
Carson Pass Area
Date and time of observation: 
Mon, 04/11/2011 - 13:45
Location Map: 
United States
38° 42' 37.7856" N, 119° 58' 33.996" W
See map: Google Maps
US


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

Cloud cover for most of the morning and stronger southwest winds kept most warming instabilities at bay on Red Lake Peak today. By 2 pm only 2-3 inches of wet snow existed above a firm and still frozen melt-freeze crust on the SE-S aspects up to 9400 ft with less wet snow on the surface above 9400 ft.  This snow remained a little wet and sticky and had not been through enough melt-freeze cycles to completely transition to corn snow. This transition is continuing to happen and it should reach that point soon.  Ski cuts on steep sun-exposed slopes did not produce any wet snow instabilities.

On nearby E-SE-S aspects several wet point release slides had occurred on 4/10/11. Most of these slides started near exposed cliffs while some were started by people cutting across the slopes. 

Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Cloud Cover: 
25% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Moderate
Precipitation: 
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Accumulation rate: 
More detailed information about the weather: 

Widespread cloud cover during the morning. These clouds started to dissipate by midday.