Observation: Uintas

Observation Date
2/11/2020
Observer Name
Ted Scroggin
Region
Uintas
Location Name or Route
Elizabeth Ridge
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Cold and clear, light winds and a nice sunny winter day with great snow.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
3"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
A few new inches from yesterdays small weather system that moved through and the snow conditions right now are quite good. There are some stout wind crusts on the exposed ridge lines, but generally nice cold dense snow that rides very well.
Red Flags
Red Flags Comments
No red flags where I traveled today, winds were calm to light, but were picking up as the afternoon went on. The conditions seemed generally low avalanche danger except for some shallow and manageable wind slabs just off the ridge lines.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
There were some shallow, but generally manageable wind slabs just below the ridge lines and nothing was too connected, but they would move quite fast on the firm snow underneath the few new inches. Overall, the cold temps kept things locked in place at least up around the 10,000' elevation.
Comments
A nice cold and clear day to be up high with some great views of the High Uintas and great fast dense snow. Some high thin clouds started to move in later in the day and a slight increase in the wind speeds.
There were a few shallow and manageable wind slabs off the ridge lines on slopes with generally a north and east aspect. These were not too connected or breaking very wide, but they did move quite fast on the firm snow surface. Seems like most things were locked in place with the cold temps. Felt like a mostly low danger, but would think in steeper and heavily wind drifted areas a deeper and more connected wind slab could be triggered bumping the hazard to more moderate.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low
Coordinates