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Observation: Moab

Observation Date
12/20/2019
Observer Name
Charlie Ramser
Region
Moab
Location Name or Route
Horse Creek S Aspect
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Light
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Wind Crust
Rain-Rime Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
Snow surface is variable and aging from lack of recent snowfall.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Rime crust near the surface in a facet sandwich with a hardy windslab on top.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
The development of wind slabs, on aspects and elevations that I travel on today, was in isolated areas. I observed more wind drifted snow as I got higher and in more open areas.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments
Multiple layers in the snowpack have faceted. Today the more reactive layers were higher in the snowpack, top 10cm. Underneath the hard windlab was a layer of rounded snow that was hardly starting to facet, but with such a difference in hardness from the layer above, was quite sensitive.
Snow Profile
Aspect
Southwest
Elevation
10,700'
Slope Angle
25°
Comments
This was my first day of the winter getting aquainted with the snowpack. I see a few folks have mentioned a graupel layer. I noticed what looked like a rime crust or a graupel/melt freeze crust. I refer to it in this observation as a rime crust. A crust none-the-less.
snowpilot.org is down so I will summarize my snowpit results below.
Snow depth 71cm
Compression Test: CT1 SC/Q1 @ 66cm from the ground (rounded snow just starting to facet that sits between the crust and the windslab). CT29 Q2/SC @ 0-3cm from the ground (facets turning to rounds).
The CT1 result was a little hard to interpret because it was so high in the snowpack and my shovel broke the slab up a bit. However from the CT, shovel sheer and general poking around it was clear the layer was sensitive.
Windslab was roughly the top 3 cm of the snowpack and knife hardness.
Photos: The vicinity, wind affected snow surface, broken windslab in snowpit, rime/graupel crust
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates