Observation: Little Water 1/7/2012

Observer Name: 
Greg Gagne
Region: 
Salt Lake
Mill Creek Canyon
Little Water
Observation Date: 
01/07/2012
Location or Route: 
millcreek Canyon - Little Water Peak
Weather
Sky: 
Obscured
Precipitation: 
Light Snowfall
Weather Comments: 

Calm atop Little Water Peak at 11 am.

Snow Characteristics

New Snow Depth: 
3"
New Snow Density: 
Low
Snow Surface Conditions: 
Powder
Snow Characteristic Comments: 

Was finding 5 cm (2") at lower elevations, a glass-is-half-view of things was finding 10 cm (4") at higher elevations. The new snow was light density and I was not finding the new snow to be sensitive. Was not finding any evidence of fresh wind loading.

snow_profile_location: 
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Comments - Photos - Videos (group 1)

In most seasons we most likely wouldn't even notice such a small "storm", yet 2011-2012 is not like most seasons. Overall was not finding the new snow to alter the avalanche hazard in our extremely fragile snowpack: was not finding any evidence of fresh wind loading and there simply wasn't enough new snow (in terms of water weight) to overload the fragile weak layers below. The only activity I could get were sluffs on steeper slopes that would gouge down into the old faceted snow. I was last out on Jan 1 and on that day I was able to get several collapses and cracking. Today I jumped on several test slopes - many of which had old, hard wind slabs sitting on top of faceted snow - and I could not get any collapses.

Observed Danger Rating: 
Moderate
Forecast Danger Rating: 
Moderate

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