December 20

White Pine-Red Baldy

surface-hoar

Elevations, slope angles and aspects

7500-11100', angles over 35°, north facing aspects

Snow conditions

Surface hoar was growing, once again, at lower and mid elevations.

needle-hoar

Near surface faceting accompanied the hoar and was prevalent to the summit of Red Baldy.

Winds continue to errode upper elevations. Recrystalized snow can be found in wind sheltered.

Avalanche activity

Natural activity during and following the last storm was widespread in the upper elevations.

blady-bench

Most of the activity was new snow only, running on wind crusted old snow surfaces. Weak layer was light density-faceted snow from the early December storm.

Weather

Partly cloudy skies, mid temperatures. Wind was from the west, gusting over 20 mph along upper elevation ridges.

Evaluation

Stable snow was found in White Pine. Continual wind has scoured and drifted upper elevation snowfields.

Localized instability would be expected in drifted areas, particularly those covering underlying faceted old snow.

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December 20 journal

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