Ad
The National Forest Service Logo
icon-add Observation
Forecasts
Logan Ogden Salt Lake Provo Uintas Skyline Moab Abajos Weather Archives How to read the forecast
Observations & Avalanches
Submit Observation Observations Explorer All Observations Avalanches Fatalities Weather Place Names Map Archives
Education
Avalanche Class List UAC Class List Online Classes Resources and Tutorials Avalanche Awareness Develop Skills
Events
Store
About
Contact Who we are Core Values Staff Board of Directors Past Forecasters Sponsors Annual Reports Sign In
Blog
icon-add Observation
Donate / Join

Observation: Little Water

Observation Date
2/14/2013
Observer Name
Bruce Tremper
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Little Water Peak, and north facing trees
Weather
Sky
Broken
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Mountain top clouds came and went with continued light riming going on.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Snow Characteristics Comments

Riding conditions were surprisingly good on the sun and wind sheltered slopes with some old, soft snow underneath and about 3 inches of rim on the surface, making about 8 inches of nice, dense, dry snow that rode fast. Sun exposed slopes got crusty as temperatures warmed and skies beginning to clear. There was some wind transport up high along the ridges from northwest winds.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Red Flags Comments
Not many red flags and the snow seemed mostly stable on all slopes with the exception of some localized wind slabs along the upper elevation wind exposed terrain. I dug a snow profile at 8,700', north facing, 140 cm, and the snow was very solid to the ground where it failed on old depth hoar with strong blows on the columns. The snow was not interesting enough to do a graphic snow profile. On spur ridges where the wind has eroded the snow, the snowpack is more punchy with more faceted snow. It seems like the snowpack is getting more and more spatially variable.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Problem #1 Comments

Watch for recent wind slabs along the upper elevation ridges from strong northwest winds these past couple days. Someone reported triggering a wind slab in Maybird to Alta Central (see other report).

Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Problem #2 Comments

Otherwise, practice normal caution from all the garden variety of avalanche problems normally encountered--wet avalanches with expected warming, the low probability - high consequence, persistent slabs, which seem mostly dormant at the moment.

Comments

Don't like the weather? Wait 2 minutes. The clouds came and went