Quick report
At Castle, there was a relatively large amount of snow, HS 140 cm at 8251 feet and HS 74 cm at 7400 feet, even compared to the south side of Donner Pass Road, where we had been the previous two days. The temperature inversions, freezing overnight temperatures, and lack of winds seem to be producing large surface hoar at lower elevations on N/NE aspects. The recent warm temperatures are melting the snow fast at all elevations but especially on the south aspects. The best ski aspect in the afternoon was NW, with a thin soft layer on top of a harder base. I dug a pit, intending to investigate the basal facet layer and a graupel layer we found on Monday, 40 cm down, on the other side of Donner Pass Road, but my tests failed at the top of the snowpack on two layers at 5 and 10 cm down -- very shallow. A hand shear test just below Castle Pass at 7900 feet showed a weak layer 30 cm down; I couldn't budge the block from the back, but I could lift off the block like a hat.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 45-50
- Cloud Cover
- clear
- Recent Snowfall
- None
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
It was a beautiful warm day with bluebird skies.
Snowpack
There are many layers in the snowpack; I found 11 distinct layers. The snowpack is largely right side up except the last 45 cm down to the ground, much of which is rounding. The basal facets are still there, but they appear to be rounding as well. There are surface facets above about 8000 feet on N/NE aspects, and surface hoar below about 7900 feet on N/NE aspects. On the way to Castle Pass, I saw a lot of surface hoar on my left (mostly NE), but by midday, they were getting moist with the warm temperatures, even in the shade; I could ball up the snow quite easily. The south aspects are melting out quickly.