Observation: Rolfson 1/15/2010

Observer Name: 
Grant Helgeson
Region: 
Rolfson
Skyline
Weather
Sky: 
Overcast
Weather Comments: 

Overcast all day.  Slight inversion in the valley bottoms. 

Snow Characteristics

Snow Surface Conditions: 
Dense Loose
Melt-Freeze Crust
Rain-Rime Crust
Snow Characteristic Comments: 

Pretty disgusting snowpack.  It's all facets!  For the moment, this is what's keeping avalanche activity to a minimum.  All the energy that the snow once had has faceted out.  There is no slab to speak of, it's a very "dead" snowpack.  If next weeks storms materialize, the pack will spark back to life in a big way.  There are so many weak layers/interfaces in the pack that it's hard to say which one will react first, but it really doesn't matter.  Give the pack more than an inch of water and I won't be surprised to see slopes natural to the ground.

Primary Concern

Primary Concern: 
Deep Slabs
Probability: 
Low
Aspect: 
North
Northeast
East
Elevation: 
High
Trend: 
Same
Primary Concern Comments: 

The pack has had two weeks to sit and rot since the last storm system moved through.  Even with warm temperatures, high elevation shady slopes have remained cool.  Depth hoar is alive and well at the ground, and still reactive to testing.  The faceting mechanism has essentially rotted away our slab in most locations.  Foot penetration is right to the ground in most locations as well.  A slab avalanche could be triggered in areas that harbor, well, slabs. (Lee sides of high elevation ridges exposed to the wind) If you find a slab somewhere, beware, it rests on a house of cards.

snow_profile_location: 
Comments - Photos - Videos (group 1)

Recent conditions have constructed a melt freeze crust on slopes that see more of the sun  (west/south).  In locations with a p

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Comments - Photos - Videos (group 2)

More melt/freeze/rain/ crust action. 

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Comments - Photos - Videos (group 3)

Robust dry depth hoar cups from the ground.

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Comments - Photos - Videos (group 4)

Melt/freeze crust.

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Observed Danger Rating: 
Low
Forecast Danger Rating: 
Low

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