Observation: Uintas 11/19/2011

Observer Name:

Ted Scroggin

Region:

Uintas

Observation Date:

11/19/2011

Location or Route:

Upper Whitney Basin

Weather

Sky:

Broken

Wind Direction:

Southwest

Wind Speed:

Light

Weather Comments:

Low clouds this morning gave way to a partly sunny day, but temperatures remained pretty chilly with a slight breeze.

Snow Characteristics

New Snow Depth:

10"

New Snow Density:

Medium

Snow Surface Conditions:

Powder

Wind Crust

Snow Characteristic Comments:

A decent little shot of snow for the north slope. About 8" at the north slope trailhead and a solid 10" for the upper Whitney Basin.

Red Flags

Wind Loading

Collapsing

Red Flag Comments:

I did not observe any immediate red flag issues this afternoon, but the snowpack will need a little time to adjust to the recent new snow and wind. I only experienced one good collapse in my travels as I was moving through the Whitney area.

Primary Concern

Primary Concern:

Persistent Slabs

Probability:

Considerable

Aspect:

North

Northeast

East

Northwest

Elevation:

High

Trend:

Same

Primary Concern Comments:

Our weak snowpack appears to have handled the recent storm snow and wind without any natural avalanching that I observed. I would still want to avoid steep slopes in the upper elevation terrain that face the north side of the compass.

Secondary Concern

Secondary Concern:

Wind Slabs

Probability:

Moderate

Aspect:

Northeast

East

Southeast

Elevation:

High

Mid

Trend:

Less Dangerous

Secondary Concern Comments:

Along the wind exposed ridgelines I observed wind drifts that would crack under the weight of a machine. These were not too deep and should be less of an issue tomorrow.

snow_profile_location:

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 1)

The safest bet for riding is still on roads and grassy areas. The coverage is getting better. but you can still feel the rocks and other hazards if you venture off the road.

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 2)

Looking into the upper Whitney Basin, things look white, but we still need a few more good storms to really fill things in.

Observed Danger Rating:

Moderate

Forecast Danger Rating:

Moderate