Obs-Snow Profile: Uintas 2/22/2011

Observer Name:

Janulaitis

Region:

Uintas

Observation Date:

02/22/2011

Location or Route:

Duke

Weather

Sky:

Broken

Precipitation:

Light Snowfall

Snow Characteristics

New Snow Density:

Low

Snow Surface Conditions:

Powder

Snow Characteristic Comments:

15-24 inches of snow over the last week.

Primary Concern

Primary Concern:

Persistent Slabs

Probability:

Considerable

Aspect:

North

Northwest

Elevation:

High

Trend:

Same

Primary Concern Comments:

I dug a pit at 10400 below the ridgeline in the protected NNW pine glades. There was 2 and 1/2 meters of snow. The ice crust layer was close to 3 feet deep at this locaiton and 4 inches thick. A compression test caused yesterdays snow at CT 2 or 3 but was only a few inches deep. The rain crust failed on the buried surface hoar CT9. When testing an estended column the rain crust failed CT19 but cleanly propagated. When examining the columns of snow above the ice crust I noticed several weak layers which cleanly sheared when handled.

Elevation:

10400'

Aspect:

North

Northwest

Slope Angle:

snow_profile_location:

Observed Danger Rating:

Moderate