Observation: Big Springs

Observation Date

1/2/2018

Observer Name

Tyler Falk

Region

Provo » Provo Canyon » South Fork Provo R. » Big Springs

Location Name or Route

Big Springs

Weather

Sky

Clear

Wind Speed

Calm

Weather Comments

Clear and calm day in the mountains. Low around 20 and high temps in the upper 30's at Big Springs Park in the afternoon. (5700')

Snow Characteristics

Snow Surface Conditions

Faceted Loose

Wind Crust

Melt-Freeze Crust

Damp

Snow Characteristics Comments

Maybe only 12cm at the trailhead which turned into 70cm at 8k on NE aspects. Sun crust on most aspects below 8k. Overall a little shallower snowpack than the central wasatch.

Red Flags

Cracking

Collapsing

Poor Snowpack Structure

Red Flags Comments

Overall poor snowpack structure were there is old snow. Cracking and collapsing noticed on small represintive test slopes where the angle got around 37 degrees.

Comments

Went to check out the north and south fork of the Provo river today. Noticed a few small pockets that pulled out in Primrose Cirque likely due to old snow.(Pic.1) A few more noticed in the South Fork specifically looking up at Cascade. Mabey R2 D2 in size. (Pic. 3) Another one up in Big Springs. (Pic 4) Sun crust in lower big springs. (Pic. 5) Weaking snow surface in picture six. Results from a small 37 degree test slope in picture seven at 8k. Last picture is of 3mm depth hoar at 8k. I did not do any tests but would expect to get propagation in ECT's in many locations with old snow above 8k.

Well December is over and it got me thinking of our December temperature gradient numbers. The few I crunched ended up not being as bad as expected due to our warm temperatures, despite our very shallow snowpack. Alta was 9.2 degrees above average for December temperature. (Average is 18F) Still there are many persistent weak layers in our snowpack and it has the feel in many locations of a more continental location. This is far diffrent from our coastal set up last year. Both years were relatively warm this year we are just lacking the snow.

Alta Guard: Avg. Temp Avg. Snow Depth December Temp Gradient

2016: 19.8 F/ -6.7 49.8"/ 1.26 M 5.3

2017: 27.2 F /-2.6 13.5"/ .34 M 7.6

Silver Lk Brighton:

2016: 22.1 F/ -5.5 28.8"/ .73 M 7.5

2017: 27.8 F/ -2.3 12.7"/ .32 M 7.18

Lighting Ridge

2016: 16.6 F/ -8.5 29.1"/.7 M 12.1

2017: 23.4 F/-4.7 16"/ .4 M 11.75

Trial Lake

2016: 16.2 F/-8.7 38.7"/ .98 M 8.8

2017: 24.8 F/-4 26.2"/ .66 M 6.0