None observed
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Center Ridge
APU Snow Science 1 scouting mission for field research location & getting the feel for the status of MLK BSH.
Observer Comments
Weather
Clear skies, no wind nor precipitation.
Temperatures cold, single digits to teens.
Snow surface
10-15cm of soft faceted snow on the surface
The temperature gradient in the top 20 cm of the snowpack was phenomenal. While the air temperature was -12 C, the snow surface was much colder at -20 C. Snow was colder than air all the way down to 20cm from the top. It was a textbook evidence on the cooling effect of outgoing longwave radiation under clear skies.
We did not travel to the alpine, hence we missed the wind impacted surface conditions.
Snowpack
Dug a test plus pit at 1900'.
HS 130-160cm.
Layer of concern, MLK buried surface hoar was easily identifiable, but stubborn to react.
Snowpack structure at Center Ridge.
Pit profile