Obs-Snow Profile: Danish Pass Area, ID 12/30/2011

Observer Name:

weed

Region:

Danish Pass Area, ID
Franklin Basin
Logan River
Logan

Observation Date:

12/30/2011

Weather

Sky:

Overcast

Wind Direction:

West

Wind Speed:

Strong

Weather Comments:

Warm and quite windy, but with very little drifting snow noted.

Snow Characteristics

New Snow Depth:

New Snow Density:

High

Snow Surface Conditions:

Wind Crust

Rain-Rime Crust

Damp

Snow Characteristic Comments:

Strong winds exposed a widespread rain-crust at higher elevations. The crust was most pronounced in open terrain up high..... Much weaker and buried by an inch or two of heavy snow in trees, at lower elevations, and on sunny slopes where the snow surface was damp due to warming.... Riding conditions felt pretty good on the roads and smooth meadows until you bog down into sugary baseless snow or hit one of the many shallowly buried rocks...

Red Flags

Wind Loading

Cracking

Red Flag Comments:

Despite the rain-crust that appears to be holding things in place, I was able to crack a few drifts on steeper test slopes....

Primary Concern

Primary Concern:

Wind Slabs

Probability:

Moderate

Aspect:

Northeast

East

Southeast

Elevation:

High

Mid

Trend:

More Dangerous

Primary Concern Comments:

Because the crust is holding the older snow and there is not much fresh snow to drift, slopes with fresh wind deposited snow from large open fetch areas will be the most dangerous. More fresh snow likely tonight will be available to drift, but the older snow older snow is now unavailable, welded in place by a translucent and brittle crust.

Elevation:

8300'

Aspect:

Northeast

East

Slope Angle:

snow_profile_location:

United States

42° 6' 29.4552" N, 111° 36' 54.6804" W

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 1)

The 12-28-2011 rain-crust complicated things in the top 10 cms of the snowpack. The translucent and brittle crust has preserved shallowly buried weak faceted snow and intact surface hoar, and may become a significant player in future instability when and if this suspect structure is buried by a slab....

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 2)

Even with only an inch or so to drift, slopes downwind of large smooth fetch areas received substantial deposits of drifted snow. as illustrated by this deep drift on the short slope in the foreground.

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 3)

ECTP 11 Q1 test results in drifted terrain.... Here the 10-15 cm slab included the rain-crust and failed on well preserved surface hoar capping very weak facets...

Observed Danger Rating:

Moderate

Forecast Danger Rating:

Moderate

Snow Profile Location

Javascript is required to view this map.