Observation: White Pine 1/19/2012

Observer Name:

Mark Hammond

Region:

Salt Lake
Little Cottonwood Canyon
White Pine

Observation Date:

01/19/2012

Location or Route:

White Pine

Weather

Sky:

Overcast

Precipitation:

Moderate Snowfall

Wind Direction:

West

Wind Speed:

Moderate

Weather Comments:

Graupel

Snow Characteristics

New Snow Depth:

10"

New Snow Density:

High

Snow Surface Conditions:

Dense Loose

Snow Characteristic Comments:

Super heavy and inverted. Breaking trail all the way to near White Pine lake was a chore!

Red Flags

Recent Avalanches

Heavy Snowfall

Wind Loading

Cracking

Collapsing

Red Flag Comments:

The most collapses I've ever heard in a single day!

Primary Concern

Primary Concern:

Persistent Slabs

Probability:

High

Aspect:

North

Northeast

East

Southeast

West

Northwest

Elevation:

High

Trend:

More Dangerous

Primary Concern Comments:

2 inches of new water weight, in a dense inverted slab package, with much more on the way, all on a base of pure facets. We are now seeing just the overture of the 2012 Wasatch Avalanche Symphony in C MAJOR!

snow_profile_location:

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 1)

Looking west towards Lake Peak.

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 2)

Intentionally triggered on a test slope, northwest aspect about 9500 ft. Crown was about 100 feet long. New snow only.

Observed Danger Rating:

High

Forecast Danger Rating:

Extreme