Observation: Turnagain

Location: Seattle Ridge Weather Station 2400'

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Tour up the Seattle Ridge uptrack and then traveled north to fix the weather station at 2400′. Surface condition inventory along the way. Weather moved in earlier than forecast with snow starting around 12:30 and winds increasing. Weather station is back in action… small wires and cold hands…!

Red Flags
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Observer Comments

Wind transport with some pluming observed before clouds came in on the high peaks on the east side of the highway.

Weather & Snow Characteristics
Please provide details to help us determine the weather and snowpack during the time this observation took place.
Weather

Started out with overcast skies and then became obscured around 12:30 pm
Light snow starting at 12:30 pm
East winds in the teens gusting into the 20s.
Temperatures: 5°F at the parking lot at 9:30, 20°F at 15:30, single digits increasing to the teens along the ridge

Snow surface

Surface hoar over a variety of surfaces. Over soft faceting snow, rain crust exposed by wind scouring, stiffer wind board along the ridge and rime crust in places near the weather station. The surface hoar was just starting to get covered by the new light snow falling.

Snowpack

No formal testing. Rain crust is present at all elevations traveled today but at a varying depth below the snow surface, just under surface hoar to 1' deep. Overall snowpack depths were also quite variable, from a few inches to 2-3'.

Photos & Video
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