Obs-Snow Profile: Salt Lake 5/20/2011

Observer Name:

brandondodge

Region:

Salt Lake

Observation Date:

05/20/2011

Location or Route:

Clayton's Peak-Brighton

Snow Characteristics

New Snow Depth:

New Snow Density:

High

Snow Surface Conditions:

Damp

Snow Characteristic Comments:

30cm overnight sitting on collapsible crust from yesterday. Making trailbreaking and skiing in low angle terrain interesting.

Storm total 75cm at Brighton

Red Flags

Heavy Snowfall

Wind Loading

Cracking

Collapsing

Red Flag Comments:

New snow, wind loading, cracking and collapsing present,. However we did not see or trigger any avalanches, despite considerable effort on test slopes.

Test results along with red flags were enough to keep us on lower angled terrain.

Elevation:

10100'

Aspect:

West

Slope Angle:

snow_profile_location:

United States

40° 35' 25.7712" N, 111° 33' 44.5896" W

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 1)

Collapsing and cracking on the up hill. Failing on crust from yesterday, below about 30cm of dense, damp new snow from last night. This weakness was producing clean mod-easy shears above the crust on compression and extended column tests. Also noted failure in tests above the old snow surface 75cm down. The combination made us stay off steep slopes. I felt the first weakness was managable, however the second was not. My main concern was something starting in the upper weakness and then stepping down to the old surface.

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 2)

Snow has increased a little since closing, what a year ?!?!?!?!?

Observed Danger Rating:

Moderate

Forecast Danger Rating:

Moderate

Snow Profile Location

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