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Professional Observation

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:

January 28, 2023

Submitted:

January 28, 2023

Observer:

Geoff Unger | Key Observer

Zone or Region:

Mammoth Lakes

Location:

Sherwin Creek Snowpack and Weather Observation

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches?

None Observed

Cracking?

None Experienced

Collapsing?

None Experienced

Media

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:

Mostly Sunny

Temperature:

5.5 degrees C

Wind:

Light , W

20230128

Field Weather Observation

Location	Sherwin Creek
Time	1130
Elevation	7890
Aspect	NNW
Sky	Few
Tair/Tsurf/T20	5.0/-4.0/-7.5
Precipitation Type/Rate	NO
Wind	L->WSW
Blow Snow	None
Surface Form/Size	FC RGwp
HST	0
HS	158
Pen Boot/Pen Ski	15cm/0cm
Comments

Snowpack Observations

Today we just did a short tour with our AIARE 1 class to do avalanche rescue and look at the layers in the upper snowpack. Here are some take aways.

Surface faceting is occurring everywhere, but it is not enough to break down wind crust and wind board.
Where the wind effect is limited there is soft sliding surface and right side up snowpack.
Probed snow depth from 198 to 218 cm at lower elevations
The weather was mild, but radiative impacts appeared less today than yesterday with just limited surface warming on solar aspects.
This is a time when the appearance of stability means stability. Now we are just waiting for a new input from mother nature to make things interesting out there.

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