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Observation: Moffit Basin

Observation Date
3/2/2013
Observer Name
Ted Scroggin
Region
Uintas
Location Name or Route
Gold Hill and Moffit Peak
Weather
Sky
Few
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
The heat was on today with sleders riding in short sleeve shirts and hoods and vents coming-off to keep their machines cool. One of the busier days at the trailhead with folks enjoying the nice conditions.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Faceted Loose
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Only high protected north facing slopes escaped the heat, with some minor wet activity on south slopes. Lots of lower elevations had damp and soft unsupportable snow. Many of the steeper slopes were high marked early in the day before conditions became somewhat unsupportable with sleds sinking into soft damp snow.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Rapid Warming
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Only minor wet activity was observed with mostly wet point releases and some wet sluffs gouging into weaker snow in shallow places.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
My thoughts today were how this rapid warm-up might affect buried weak snow that is in the upper part of the snow pack. Traveling around in some of the mid-elevation terrain I was finding lots of places where the snow was unsupportable and breaking into weak snow. Will the heat put more stress on the buried weak snow possibly creating a higher hazard?
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Problem #2 Comments
New wind slabs and some new snow instabilities should be the main concern for tomorrow's storm.