Observation: Meadows

Observation Date
3/17/2013
Observer Name
Hardesty and Wilson
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Meadow Chutes
Weather
Sky
Broken
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Weather Comments
Just a touch of rimed snowflakes. With enough heft to make the skinning and carving respectable.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
1"
New Snow Density
High
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Melt-Freeze Crust
Comments

Quite a decent overnight refreeze with 3-5" melt freeze crusts noted...increasing with elevation. Cracking and collapsing of the crust observed, but not representative of avalanche conditions. Isothermal snowpack noted except for mid to high northerly; though old structure should not be discounted...yet (see 2nd video).

Wet snow has always been intriguing and challenging - from new snow becoming wet producing long running and fast sluffs, to wet slabs, to corn slabs. Corn slabs act much like hard slabs - you remain on top of the slab but then collapse the 'm/f crust-wet grain slab' pulling into perhaps remnant facets from days gone by. These can be triggered remotely as well...thorugh I suspect that old facets are the culprit. As the academics say, 'more research is needed'...

Still - I feel that the cold temps suitably "locked up" the damp loose snow below - note the video attached here...and the overall danger dropped significantly with the cold snap.

Video

Old faceted grain becoming a wet grain....

Video

Isolated cracking of melt freeze crust into damp snow below.