Obs-Snow Profile: Reynolds Pk 11/28/2011

Observer Name:

Hardesty

Region:

Reynolds Pk
Big Cottonwood Canyon
Salt Lake

Observation Date:

11/28/2011

Weather

Sky:

Scattered

Weather Comments:

Warm. Off aspects crusted. Northerlies sport a temperature crust at least to 9200'.

Snow Characteristics

Snow Surface Conditions:

Dense Loose

Faceted Loose

Wind Crust

Melt-Freeze Crust

Damp

Snow Characteristic Comments:

With skiing like this, you'd hope the danger would be Low.

Red Flags

Red Flag Comments:

Recent Avalanches, heavy snowfall, wind loading, cracking and collapsing, and rapid warming are Bull's Eye clues to Instability. When there are none, you've gotta look at Strength, Structure, and Energy - check out Don Sharaf and Ian McCammon's excellent article here.

Strength - Moderate to Strong (Slab took > 20 hit to initiate failure in weak layer)

Structure - Poor (5 Lemons)

Energy - Moderate (full propagation across the Extended Column Test, but not planar and didn't 'pop out' like a cash register

Primary Concern

Primary Concern:

Persistent Slabs

Probability:

Moderate

Aspect:

North

Northeast

Northwest

Elevation:

High

Mid

Trend:

Same

Primary Concern Comments:

see above

Aspect:

North

Northeast

snow_profile_location:

United States

40° 39' 45.4968" N, 111° 38' 47.2452" W

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 1)

Fair pic w/o much magnification of 1-2mm facets failing 1-2' down beneath the slab. Note how squared off they look - we often "affectionately" call them Squares.

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 2)

Magnified pic of developing depth hoar (below).

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 3)

Observed Danger Rating:

Moderate

Forecast Danger Rating:

Moderate

Snow Profile Location

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