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Observation: Chalk Creek

Observation Date
2/23/2018
Observer Name
CBrown
Region
Uintas » Upper Weber Canyon » 1000 Peaks » Chalk Creek
Location Name or Route
Chalk Creek
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
SE winds in the morning, shifting to the W afternoon. No precip in morning, S~1 increasing to S2 around 15:00. Pretty light to calm winds most of the day.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
1"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments

Only about 1-3" between what fell overnight and through the early afternoon hours.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Cracking
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Some light windloading was observed through the day. Found some soft sensitive windslab on a north facing ridge about 12" deep, ran over hard slab old wind slab and stepped down midslope another 12" loose dry. Observed strucutre on slope and in pit was about the poorest I've seen latley. I have also observed over the past week or so cornice growth has begun to form some soft sensitive looking cornice, also found some old stubborn larger cornice.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments

Some soft sensitive shallow wind slabs around and some old larger harder welded feeling wind slabs as well. New, reactive wind slabs were isolated and manageable. If the winds stay consistent or ramp up I could see this being a larger issue in the tomorrow.

Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments

Poor structure observed. The Thanksgiving rain crust seems to be bridging the very week depth hoar where I looked today, but the crust was not a consistent layer. Trigger point could collapse the weak layer. The interface between the crust and the layer above did not seem to be reactive where I looked.

Snow Profile
Aspect
East
Elevation
10,600'
Slope Angle
46°
Comments

Picture below of cornice from early this week, that was almost non existent a week + ago.

Picture of soft wind slab that stepped down.

Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate