Observation type
Snowpack
Observer
Graupel and Rime
Keep me anonymous if published
no
Location (general area)
Kratka Ridge San Gabriel mountains
Latitude
34.34837
Longitude
-117.98679
Date (yyyymmdd)
20170223
Time
1310
Road conditions to area
clear with only a few patches of ice
Temperature
 26°F/ -3°C
Sky
clear (no clouds)
Wind speed
Calm (smoke rises vertically)
Wind direction
not observed
Wind direction in degrees
No Wind
Slope aspect
North West
Aspect in degrees
330°
Slope angle
22°
Elevation
7,420'/ 2,262m
Snow depth
26"/ 66cm
Boot/ Ski penetration
BP 1.5cm/ SP .5cm
Precipitation
None 
Activity, recent avalanches
No
Whumphing noises, shooting cracks. collapsing
no
Rapid warming
no
Obvious avalanche path
no
Terrain trap
no

Comment
24°F/ -4.4°C @ 9am skin from car on hard icy snow
Icy with just a dusting and small surface hoar with some graupel from the night before
 
11:45 slight softening but only E NE less than 1cm
Clear skies and sunny
Wind calm
 
@1:10pm temperature was still below freezing 26°F/ -3°C though it felt much warner in the sun. Boot pen – 1.5cm/ .5in Ski Pen - .5cm/ <.25in>.25in
Very soft snow near 7,700’/ 2,347m @ aprox. 2:00pm when we crossed over briefly onto a southern aspect, moisture visible on the snow and had there been more than 4 – 5cm would have likely produced wet slides
 
Some softening in sun exposed NW aspects but firm and icy in the shade on the same aspects around 2:30pm
 
Snowpack appeared to be refrozen water/ moisture saturated as most grains were clustered rounds freezing together or rounding facets clustered and freezing together.
 
Stability test was no surprise at CTN
 
Two ice layers were found at 56cm & 52cm and no signs of facets associated with them.
 
The existing snowpack is becoming isothermal and fairly solid at this elevation. The next storm concern will be lack of bonding from new snow to old ice crust snow surface with the continued cold temperatures.

Publish this observation
Yes I would like this observation Published

Skinning up the icy slope

Pit profile Kratka Ridge