Minor loose wet instabilities and wet snow on all aspects on Maggies Peak

Location Name: 
Maggie's Peak
Region: 
Desolation Wilderness Area (including Emerald Bay)
Date and time of observation: 
Fri, 03/29/2013 - 15:45
Location Map: 
United States
38° 56' 29.472" N, 120° 6' 23.0436" W
See map: Google Maps
US


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

Deep wet snow existed on all aspects up to 8000 ft. on Maggies Peak as of 3:30 pm today. North aspects above this elevation did hold some colder snow with a frozen melt-freeze crust on the surface. In the areas where wet snow did exist some small loose snow instabilities did occur on steep NE-E-SE-S facing test slopes. Minor sluffs and small roller balls comprised these surface instabilities.

Snowpit: Located on a NE facing slope at 7800 ft. This pit shows a snowpack where melt freeze cycles have affected the full depth of the snowpack.

Photo: Wet snow deeper than my boot top on a E facing aspect at about 8100 ft.

Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Cloud Cover: 
25% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Calm
Precipitation: 
Rain
Air temperature trend: 
Cooling
Wind Direction: 
Accumulation rate: 
Less than 1 in. per hour
More detailed information about the weather: 

Some intermittent light rain did occur late in the day on Maggies. The rain fall only lasted a few minutes as a large cumulus cloud passed overhead.