Whumphing, Cracking, Blowing Snow, and Facets on Tamarack

Location Name: 
Tamarack Peak
Region: 
Mount Rose Area
Date and time of observation: 
Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:40
Location Map: 
United States
39° 18' 51.642" N, 119° 54' 51.2928" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Whumphing noises, shooting cracks, or collapsing
Recent loading by new snow, wind, or rain
Observation made by: Forecaster
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

New snow totals ranged from 12 to 15 cm in non wind loaded terrain in the Tamarack Peak area as of 1:30pm. Observations indicated that the new snow is bonding well to the old snow surfaces. Wind slabs measured between 20 and 25 cm in depth on wind loaded test slopes. Ski cuts and repeated jumping on these test slopes did not reveal any obvious signs of instability. Snowpits, hand pits, and probing showed loose sugary snow layers near the bottom of the snowpack on N-NE aspects. On the N aspects above 9000 ft. large skier triggered whumphs occurred as well as skier triggered shooting cracks. Regular length and 2m long extended column tests also yielded unstable results on those northerly aspects as well. 

Photos: Skier triggered cracking on N facing slopes between 9400 ft and 9600 ft. 

Video: Wind transport along the ridgeline of the east ridge of Tamarack Peak. 

Snowpack photos: 
Snowpit videos (tests, etc): 

Wind Transport on Tamarack Peak

Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Yes
Cloud Cover: 
100% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Strong
Precipitation: 
Snow
Air temperature trend: 
Cooling
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Accumulation rate: 
Less than 1 in. per hour
More detailed information about the weather: 

Heavy snowfall stopped around 11am and the winds seemed to decease around that time as well. Some breaks in the clouds also appeared between 11am and 2pm in the Tamarack area. Temperatures did cool significantly during the day. New snow totals only amounted to 12-15cm (4-6 inches).