Observation: Skyline 1/27/2012

Observer Name:

Darce Trotter Steve Cote Matt, Jed, Seth

Region:

Skyline

Observation Date:

01/27/2012

Location or Route:

Big Meadow, traditional approach up Little Meadow ridge line

Weather

Sky:

Clear

Wind Direction:

West

Wind Speed:

Moderate

Weather Comments:

Overnight storm had a lot of wind with whales and waves on all exposed areas.

Snow Characteristics

New Snow Depth:

New Snow Density:

Low

Snow Surface Conditions:

Powder

Snow Characteristic Comments:

hero 6" on a more supportable base in places, south facing slopes are now white.

Big player today was massive settlement everywhere we went. I would not just womph, it would wwwwwwwwomph.

Still feel we have a wide variability in snow depths, even over short distances. Sometimes one person was all it would take to collapse large areas, sometimes it would wait until 2-3 of us would clump up. Visible shallow rippling was evident and noted on even flat terrain. Collapsing continue the entire day, and we even experienced continuing settlement on our exit of the area in the packed up track.

Miller flats snow stake now at 80 CM, thats more like it

Red Flags

Recent Avalanches

Wind Loading

Cracking

Collapsing

Red Flag Comments:

see above

Primary Concern

Primary Concern:

Wind Slabs

Probability:

High

Aspect:

North

Northeast

East

Northwest

Elevation:

High

Trend:

Same

Primary Concern Comments:

remotely triggering hard slabs, naturals, evidence of recent avalanches, we noted more natural activity as we were driving home. did not notice any that had failed down to the ground, but the possibility exists that a newer snow wind slab triggered would overload and step down into facets at the ground,

Secondary Concern

Secondary Concern:

Persistent Slabs

Aspect:

North

Northeast

East

Northwest

Elevation:

High

Mid

Low

Trend:

Same

Secondary Concern Comments:

facets are not going to go away, in shallow snowpack areas, entire pack could easily be involved in steep terrain.

Elevation:

9500'

Aspect:

Northeast

Slope Angle:

snow_profile_location:

United States

39° 34' 39.5184" N, 111° 16' 35.6484" W

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 1)

see avalanche report from today

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 2)

I stomped on the GE Hill road cut without results, had not built up as much as higher more exposed areas.

Observed Danger Rating:

High

Forecast Danger Rating:

High

Snow Profile Location

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