Warming and moist snow on Red Cone

SNOWPACK OBSERVATION Red Cone Mammoth Lakes
Submission Info Member Wednesday, March 4, 2020 - 2:15pm

Contributor

Danny O

Red Flags:

Rapid warming

Red Cone 37° 35' 42.3348" N, 119° 1' 30.7632" W

See map: Google Maps

Snowpit Observations

More detailed information about the snowpack:

Today we toured up to Red Cone and over to the ridge between Red Cone Bowl and Hollywood Bowl. We left the TH at 8:45AM on a snow surface that was still frozen. At 10:00 at 8,930' on a NE aspect the Tsurf was 0C, ski pen was 10cm and boot pen was 20cm. By 1310 at 9,820' on a NW aspect, boot pen was 40cm, ski pen was 15cm and Tsurf was 1C. The HS at 10,030' on a N aspect was 190cm. Other observations from the day included roller ball activity off of exposed rocks on a W aspect at ~10,000' in Red Cone Bowl. When we were on top of our run into Red Cone I attemped to stomp on some wind loaded features that resulted in minor cracks just beneath my boot/ski and was only able to get anything to break off after 15-20 hard stomps.

Snowpack photos:

Weather Observations

Blowing Snow:

Cloud Cover:

Clear

Air temperature:

Above Freezing

Wind Speed:

Light

Precipitation:

None

Air temperature trend:

Warming

Wind Direction:

Southwest

Accumulation rate:

None

More detailed information about the weather:

Today began warm and remained warm throughout our entire tour. Air temp was already 2C at the TH at 8:45 and I observed a high temp of 9c at 9,820' up in the basin four hours later. Skies started off completely clear for the first few hours and then by 12:30 I began to see a few high clouds. Winds were light and out of the SSW today with a few moderate gusts in the PM. No blowing snow was observed where we traveled today.