Observation type
Snowpack

Observer
Jake Carp

Keep me anonymous if published
no

Location (general area)
Sugar Lump Ridge - Big Bear

Latitude

Longitude

Date (yyyymmdd)
20191206

Time
1100

Road conditions to area
Clear

Temperature
5C

Sky
Broken clouds (4/8 but not all)

Wind speed
Calm (smoke rises vertically)

Wind direction
not observed

Wind direction in degrees

Slope aspect
not observed

Aspect in degrees

Slope angle

Elevation

Snow depth

Boot/ Ski penetration

Brief description

Comment
Dug a pit on a NW facing test slope on the ridge below Sugarlump. With a few questions in mind. Got some answers.

+What did the rain do to the snowpack?
-Well it got pretty wet. Our basal facets from November soaked up all that water like a sponge, making for a nice weak layer right on the ground.

+Is our new snow able to create a cohesive slab?
-Looks like it! We've got a pretty solid slab from last week's snow that has a lot of cohesion (sticks to itself well) but not a lot of adhesion (sticks to the layer underneath). It's wet now too so we have to think about the potential for wet slabs.

+Any other layers of concern?
-Noticed some snow near the surface that are facets GOING TO rounds. Not in a critical temp gradient but something of note. We also have a temperature crust on the surface. With warming I could anticipate this making for some slushy-slidey action. (aka wet loose)

Publish this observation
Yes I would like this observation Published