Obs-Snow Profile: Providence Canyon 3/1/2011

Observer Name:

Toby Weed

Region:

Providence Canyon
Logan

Observation Date:

03/01/2011

Weather

Sky:

Clear

Wind Speed:

Light

Snow Characteristics

Snow Surface Conditions:

Powder

Wind Crust

Melt-Freeze Crust

Damp

Snow Characteristic Comments:

Quite varied, mostly wind jacked up high, with nice settled powder conditions on sheltered shady slopes....

Red Flags

Recent Avalanches

Wind Loading

Cracking

Rapid Warming

Red Flag Comments:

Only minor cracking in wind crusts.... Noted several recent natural avalanches from 2-28, mostly cornice falls....

Rapid warming caused some natural wet activity at lower elevations, and I rode by some fairly large fresh slush piles in lower Providence Canyon on my way down in the evening.

Primary Concern

Primary Concern:

Deep Slabs

Probability:

Moderate

Aspect:

North

Northeast

Northwest

Elevation:

High

Mid

Trend:

Same

Primary Concern Comments:

There is a weak snow structure in some areas, with a hard slab resting on very weak sugary or faceted snow. Not sure if a skier could trigger one at this point, but sleds or overrunning slides certainly might...

Secondary Concern

Secondary Concern:

Cornice Fall

Probability:

Considerable

Aspect:

North

Northeast

East

Northwest

Elevation:

High

Trend:

Less Dangerous

Secondary Concern Comments:

These are stiff and stubborn, but some are still a bit unstable. There have been significant natural cornice falls in the zone in the past few days....

Elevation:

8400'

Aspect:

North

Northwest

Slope Angle: