Planned Website Outage: The UAC website will be down for maintenance on June 17 from 2:00 - 7:00 PM MT.
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: Gobblers

Observation Date
2/11/2017
Observer Name
Brackelsberg
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Mill Creek Canyon » Mill A » Butler Fork » Gobblers
Location Name or Route
Mill Creek / Gobblers Knob
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
11"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments

The new snow was not binding to the old snow surface (crust) as well as I had expected. The warm weather when the storm moved in did not allow the old snow to freeze so low, mid, and sheltered upper elevations still had isothermic and unsupportable snow.

See photo below for an example of the poor bonding of the new snow to the old snow surface.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Heavy Snowfall
Rapid Warming
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Mid and lower elevations were already wet and gloppy by 1:00. Facets had started to form under the crust.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wet Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments

As daytime warming continued and the new snow was not bonded well to the old snow, steeper slopes have a definite risk of wet slides. This risk is a combination of a storm slab and web slide risk.

If we do not get a refreeze tonight, this risk could increase.

Snow Profile
Aspect
Northwest
Elevation
9,200'
Slope Angle
32°
Comments

I was surprised at the snowpack depth of 345 cm in this location.

Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable
Coordinates