Professional Observation

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Snow Stability

Key Points

• With the doldrums of January 2022 continuing, I took a drive outside of the forecast zone to the southern end of the range to see what conditions looked like. I went as far as Independence and the onion valley rd. up to Kearsarge Peak.
• For the most part snowline is around 7000ft elevation on shadier aspects with shallow overall snow depths. I measured from 30-65cm average snow depth on East through Northeast aspects on Kearsarge peak at the 8000ft level. The snowpack is faceted, but still for the most part is not that weak except where very shallow depths exist. Hardness test showed snow hardness in this east-northeast gully being from 1Finger to Pencil hardness throughout.
• With a cool breeze today and honestly horrible surface conditions I didn’t explore higher or further. Starting to reach a limit on adventure travel on skis, no longer can call many of the tours “skiing” unless you have a warm day with little wind on a sunny chute or find surface facets in one of the few patches of trees that actually reside in the Eastern Sierra.
• There was just enough softening on SE aspects that it made turning ok through mostly 3-dimensional snow that resembled June type surfaces. Mini penitentes forming!
• Snowline is actually low enough in many drainages that access to higher terrain is pretty good right now. The challenge is finding solar aspects that have enough connected and continual snow coverage to make the adventure worth it.
• It was another clear and dry day with moderate NE winds and temperatures hovering just around freezing at the 8000ft level in the afternoon.
• No instability noted anywhere.
• 31degF @ 2pm @ 8000ft