Obs-Snow Profile: Greens Basin 11/24/2011

Observer Name:

Bruce Tremper

Region:

Greens Basin
Big Cottonwood Canyon
Salt Lake

Observation Date:

11/24/2011

Weather

Sky:

Broken

Wind Speed:

Moderate

Weather Comments:

Warm and breezy before tomorrow's storm

Snow Characteristics

New Snow Depth:

New Snow Density:

Medium

Snow Surface Conditions:

Dense Loose

Snow Characteristic Comments:

Warm, muggy snow on most aspects but still some soft, settled, old powder on the northerly facing slopes above about 9,000'. Snow is still fairly thin--about 2 feet deep with very little snow on the south facing slopes.

Primary Concern

Primary Concern:

Persistent Slabs

Probability:

Considerable

Aspect:

North

Northeast

East

Northwest

Elevation:

High

Trend:

Same

Primary Concern Comments:

Same old story. The layer of faceted snow still exists buried about 1.5 - 2 feet deep just above a stout melt-freeze crust. Snowpit tests still indicate that people could still trigger avalanches on this layer and I will continue to avoid these northerly facing slopes at upper elevation.

These are tricky conditions because the slopes with enough snow to ride without hitting rocks are exactly the same slopes that remain potentially dangerous. In addition, even small avalanches can be deadly because you will get raked over the rocks on the way down.

Secondary Concern

Secondary Concern:

Wind Slabs

Probability:

Moderate

Elevation:

High

Trend:

Same

Secondary Concern Comments:

Winds yesterday and today continued to create quite a bit of wind damage along the upper elevation terrain. These wind slabs are dense and hard. They will likely be stubborn to trigger but potentially dangerous. They seem to exist on many different aspects. Continue to avoid steep slopes with recent wind deposits, which will look smooth and rounded and often sound hollow like a drum.

Elevation:

9500'

Aspect:

North

Slope Angle:

snow_profile_location:

United States

40° 37' 17.3172" N, 111° 37' 41.5848" W

Observed Danger Rating:

Considerable

Forecast Danger Rating:

Considerable

Snow Profile Location

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