UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Avalanche: Elk Point

Observer Name
grainger
Observation Date
Monday, March 20, 2017
Avalanche Date
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Region
Provo » Provo Canyon » Timpanogos » Elk Point
Location Name or Route
Elk Point/Stewart Falls
Elevation
9,200'
Aspect
Southeast
Slope Angle
40°
Trigger
Natural
Avalanche Type
Wet Loose
Avalanche Problem
Wet Snow
Weak Layer
Density Change
Depth
10"
Comments
Observed new WL slides and debris piles from the last warm high pressure in Primrose, Cascade, and Big Provo Cirques today as well as a few isolated sections of glide cracking on the mid path rock bands around 9600'. Natural wet loose debris continued to stuff off the steeper slopes of Elk Point and Stewart Falls as the day warmed, even with consistent high clouds/no direct sun all day. Many slopes below 9800' had just the tiniest surface stiffening (couldn't call it a real refreeze) and were moist through the top 8 to 30 cm depending on aspect/elevation. The Timp ridge and surfaces above 10000' remained hard with a granular refreeze surface all day. Overall snow went straight from this to sticky to saturated coming down the cirque, leaving possibly 2 to 3 quality turns somewhere in the middle... Slide debris ranged from class 1 to class 3 with the larger pile having traveled SE into the lower Stewart Falls, many 3" to 10" trees broken off and large rocks carried down to the deposition area. All slides seemed to initiate on the steeper slopes below 9500' where no consistent refreeze has been occurring.
Coordinates