Windy day with afternoon precip at Carson Pass

Windy day at Carson Pass, with overcast skies in the morning and snowfall beginning just before 1pm. Slopes in direct sun from previous days had a light crust. Snow surface on slopes sheltered from wind and direct sun remained cold and unconsolidated, with a mix of blown-over surface hoar and early stage near surface facets. Snow was being redistributed by winds.

I dug 3 test pits between the Carson Pass SNO-PARK and Winnemucca Lake. The first was on a wind loaded slope in an opening in the trees. I couldn't find buried surface hoar, and column tests did not indicate instability. The second was in a wind-sheltered opening on the edge of a meadow, where surface hoar was on the surface but blown-over. Again no buried surface hoar observed and column tests did not indicate instability. The third was on the lee side of a wind exposed ridge, where 60cm of pencil hard wind slab was over softer snow. A standard ECT did not indicate propagation, but continued beating on the column way beyond the 30 loading steps - to the point it hurt my hand - did finally propagate. In all three of these test pits, the recent rain and wet snow presented as one thick layer, instead of several crusts separated by loose snow.

Pic 1: Blown-over surface hoar and early stage near surface facets.

Pic 2: Widespread settlement cones.