Public Observation

Observation Details

Observations

The bulk of the precipitation passed through last night with several inches of new snow at various SNOTEL sites in our forecast area so we went up to Virginia Lakes to take a look around. On the drive in clouds capped the peak tops and trace amounts of snow continued to fall from the sky. Temperatures remained in the low 20’s throughout the day. Light winds swirled at the valley floor and our wind gauge on Crater Crest picked up moderate gusts from the SW at 25 mph.

On the ground, we confirmed a modest 1-6” of new snow, low density dry to the touch with a trace of wind effect on the surface. We stayed in the sheltered trees as wind slab sensitivity above treeline would be touchy where drifted snow had been deposited. A few parallel tracks test produced cracking but none shot out from the tips of the skis.

Signs of Unstable Snow