Observation Date
1/13/2020
Observer Name
Dave Garcia
Region
Moab
Location Name or Route
Laurel Highway, Funnel, Tele Gold Moraines
Weather
Sky
Few
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
A cloudy and cold morning gave way to clear skies and mostly calm winds in the valley bottoms. Nice day in the mountains.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
No new snow last night. I cleared five inches off the board. 2 inches of very light density fell Thursday night, and 3 inches fell Saturday night. 40 inches at the study plot. The new snow is skiing surprisingly well. Some wind drifts are about a foot deep.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Wind Loading
Cracking
Red Flags Comments
The winds are at it again. They've been cranking from the southwest, and there's five inches of light density snow available for transport. I observed fresh drifts on almost all aspects and elevations. These varied in depth from 3 to 12 inches. Fresh drifts are sensitive right now. In some places wind drifts were deposited on the 2 inches of very light density that fell Thursday night. This is acting as a weak layer and wind slabs are running on this layer. I was able to get some test slopes to move where I observed this snow structure. I observed a natural avalanche in Gravel Pit Lanes. This avalanche was shallow, and I can only assume the weak layer was the light density snow beneath fresh wind slab.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
Wind slabs are running on top of the light density snow that fell Thursday night. I dug a bunch of quick hand pits today to track this layer. This layer is easy to find because it is not very deep. It can be on any aspect, but you won't find it everywhere because in many places it was blown away. I think it will be active again tomorrow., but these will be shallow and easy to manage. The natural in Gravel Pit ran from the shoulder just above the lawn mower all the way down to the tele heaven aprons. I also noticed another small natural in the steep terrain just down ridge of the lawnmower.
Snow Profile
Aspect
Northwest
Elevation
10,400'
Slope Angle
22°
Photo 1: Sensitive wind drift running on the 2 inches of light density snow from Thursday night. This was a steep test slope with a SW aspect. Photo 2: Debris in Tele Heaven from Gravel Pit natural. Photo 3: The crown is just left of the lawnmower. The flat light in these photos makes it hard to see. Photo 4: The sun came out in the afternoon and I got a look into talking mountain cirque, no avalanches observed up there. Tomorrow there is a moderate danger of triggering a shallow wind slab on all aspects at the mid and upper elevations.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates
