Infrared photos, mostly by Cora Shea

Warmer snow surface temperature above a buried bush. Click here to download.

The snow surface on the southwest facing slopes of Mt. Smart are warmer than the surface on the northwest facing slopes. PM photo.

A large temperature gradient exists in the thin snowpack above a rock. The snow is coarse grained depth hoar near the rock.

Long wave radiation from the tree has warmed the snow surface near the tree

Long wave radiation from the tree has warmed the snow surface near the tree.

The bed surface and lower slab are cooler than the slab. ~ 10 minutes after the avalanche

IR image of a crown fracture shows the temperature gradient in the slab. (Image taken ~5 min after avalanche)

This photo of the buried rock that goes with three IR photos.

A large temperature gradient exists in the depth hoar above a buried rock.

The compressed snow under the ski tracks has conducted heat to the surface more than the uncompressed snow.

IR image of a pit wall ~1 minute after shovelling, showing a cool layer sandwiched between two warmer layers

Incoming short wave and strong outgoing low wave to a clear sky lead to max warming several cm below the snow surface