Small Wind Slabs on Mt. Rose

Location Name: 
Mt. Rose
Region: 
Mount Rose Area
Date and time of observation: 
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 12:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 20' 29.5188" N, 119° 54' 20.1636" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Obvious avalanche path
Terrain Trap
Observation made by: Forecaster
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Observations on Mt. Rose showed a right side up snowpack with lighter, softer, colder snow on the surface and more dense snow as one gets deeper in the snowpack. Hand pits and observations indicated that the snowpack continues to consolidate and settle. Snow surfaces on all aspects remained soft on all aspects for most of the day. On the sun exposed aspects below 9000 ft, the snow surface started to be slightly more dense and showed signs of small thin sun crust beginning to form in some sunny areas in the afternoon. On exposed near and above treeline terrain, the snow surface showed evidence of wind loading from last night's west winds and some small cornices and wind slabs had formed on the NE-E-SE aspects. Ski kicks caused cornice pieces to break off, but those cornice pieces did not trigger signs of instability on the slopes below them. One previously undercut test slope did crack under the weight of a skier, but other slopes that were not undercut did not show signs of instability. 

Snowpack photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
50% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Light
Precipitation: 
None
Air temperature trend: 
Cooling
Wind Direction: 
Northeast
Accumulation rate: 
None
More detailed information about the weather: 

A layer of clouds existed between 9200 ft. and 8400 ft.