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Observation: Upper Weber Canyon

Observation Date
3/13/2016
Observer Name
Zimmerman-Wall/ AIARE Level 1
Region
Uintas » Upper Weber Canyon
Location Name or Route
1000 Peaks Ranch/ Little Steps
Weather
Sky
Broken
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
The wind always delivers in the Uintas. Steady 15mph winds with gusts reaching 30s in open terrain and exposed ridges above 9500ft. Snowfall was intermittent throughout the day, with some sunshine peaking through the clouds for brief moments. Trace of new snow. Temps were actually quite pleasant when the wind wasn't blowing. Perhaps just a touch over freezing by mid afternoon. The ominous skies of the approaching front kept us ready to scurry off the ridges and get to sheltered terrain, but it staved off until we were down and clear.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
A gamut of snow surfaces to keep you entertained. Damp powder and temperature crusts in the sheltered north, wind scoured/sastrugi on E through SE cross loaded terrain, premature corn on South, and melt freeze on West. There were also quite a few pockets of wind board that kept you on your toes in certain leeward terrain.
Red Flags
Red Flags Comments
No apparent red flags. The skiing was just plain educational. However, the steady wind was transporting snow onto a variety of snow surfaces. We probed and dug in a variety of places, and the most interesting results were CTH Progressive Compression/Q3 failing just above/below a crust down about 15-20cm. There appeared to be some small grained facets associated with these failures. Perhaps this could become a problem with a significant load, but the issue was not wide spread across terrain.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Normal Caution
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
We went out the door expecting to find more wind drifts and small wind slabs. Perhaps we weren't high enough, or there just wasn't quite enough snow loose enough for transport. Any drifts we encountered were small, lacked uniformity, and were not sensitive. However, I believe that in the right piece of leeward steep terrain, you could have found a wind pocket that may have cracked under provocation. We used good procedures and gave cornices a wide berth. All slopes had some sort of temperature affect, and this made for poor skiing, but kept the hazards at bay. The South facing barely got soft enough to get your edge in with the brief periods of sun and warm ambient temps. With the approaching storm, it seems that we will be dealing with bonding issues on the old snow surfaces and perhaps wind slab in more widespread areas. We did not find any particularly shallow areas where weak basal snow could be located.
Comments
Photo of wind transport onto a Northeast face above 9500 ft.
The clouds come marching in over the highest peaks of the Western Uinta.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate