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Weather Summary

Heading out later morning to observe if there was significant impact to solar aspects from the bright sun and warm temperatures today. It indeed was clear as a bell and it was 45degF @ 1200pm @ 9600ft. Dead calm with no wind what so ever in this location today. Dead still and balmy.

Snowpack Observations

Headed up late morning to the southerly facing terrain the dumps into the western edge of the Aspendell community, or Id call it the south side of the Bishop Bowl knob on which folks generally ski the northerly gladed side within the whitebark pine groves. It definitely was warm and sunny and southeast aspects were moistened on the surface at mid-day. In general the top 10-15cm of surface grains were moist overlying still wintery cold snow. Most snow depths on these southeast ribbons were from 30-45cm in depth and were supportable to ski travel, but I could easily punch my pole through to the ground. Boot penetration was around 20cm or to the ground where total snow was only 30cm deep.  Easterly aspects showed minimal signs of warming and overall remained quite firm. Due South aspects in the area are completely devoid of snow, even in most gully features. Overall the snowpack in Bishop creek is shallow and minimal compared to coverage in Mammoth and to the north per usual. Northerly aspects above North Lake and up towards Lamarck Col has good robust coverage, more than it ever was last winter. Nothing concerning in regards to instability in the snow today, perhaps some very shallow areas within the rocks and SE facing got pretty trap-door by mid afternoon, but the snow is quite old, wind pressed and shallow to produce any loose wet activity, not to mention still short days and relatively oblique sun angle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e31O3aYNciQ

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