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Professional Observation

       

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
December 26, 2022
Submitted:
December 26, 2022
Observer:
Geoff Unger | Key Observer
Zone or Region:
Mammoth Lakes
Location:
Reds Lake Shoulder

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
None Observed
Cracking? 
None Experienced
Collapsing? 
None Experienced

It was feeling pretty locked up out there with limited warming and barely visible wind transport.   All eyes are on the new rain and snow to come.

Snow Stability

Stability Rating: 
Good
Confidence in Rating: 
High
Stability Trend: 
Steady

Key Points

Today was a better day to be a forecaster than a skier.  The facet skiing that was holding in the sheltered trees didn’t hold as well with cloud cover and limited rewarming today.  Exploration of mid elevation solars also yielded underwhelming results.  On the plus side we got a chance to dig a snow profile and practice some snow science craft.

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Mostly Cloudy
Temperature:
6.0 degrees C
Wind:
Light , SW

The weather started off cloudy as was expected, but the clouds were in and out as opposed to increasing cloud.  The winds we expected to see also held off until after we were out of the field.  Tonight seems to be the change over to inclement weather.

Snowpack Observations

We dug a snow profile on a NE aspect at 9300 feet.  Snow depth was 178cm.  Targeted observation was the bonding between our strong mid-pack and basal facets.  We performed 2 deep tap tests on the interface at 53cm.  After that we did a practice PST on an upper layer that was easy to identify.  This seemed a better option since we didn’t have results that would indicate fracture initiation on the lower facet layer.

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