Sign Up for the Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop (USAW) on December 7th!

Observation: Uintas

Observation Date
12/4/2022
Observer Name
C Alden & J Hirshorn
Region
Uintas
Location Name or Route
Wolf Creek Pass/ Duchesne Ridge
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Wind Loading
Cracking
Collapsing
Poor Snowpack Structure
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
Surface hoar interface on the north facing pit is sitting at 44cm above ground w/ an additional 37cm on snow on top (ECTP7 result @ 44cm at SH interface). Our SE pit produced ECTN3 on depth hoar facets at 19cm above ground, and an ECTN12 result at 29cm above ground on the faceted surface hoar. These facets aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and will only get worse with upcoming snowfall.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments
Winds from incoming storm moving from SW beginning visible transport later on in the day. Wind loading not as significant as in the upper ridgelines observed in the Salt Lake mountains.
Snow Profile
Aspect
North
Elevation
9,800'
Comments
Dug 2 pits on Wolf Creek Pass off of the Duchesne Ridge to analyze northern aspect snowpack structure along with wayward aspect snowpack following strong winds from late last week. Pit #1 was next to the Wolf Creek Snotel, north aspect at 6 degrees and 9,800 ft in elevation. Pit #2 was a SE face at 12 degrees and 9,730 ft in elevation. See Snow Pilot data above for full pit breakdown of Pit 1. Pit 2 Snow Pilot breakdown in additional photos below. Hand hardness test also completed in Pit 2.
Skinning in the flats produced collapsing and instability varying with most (if not all) steps. Wind loaded slopes in the surrounding areas produced avalanches off ridgelines breaking down to the mid-November facet layer. Transport of snow via wind became more evident as the cold front rolled in around 17:00. Moral of the story: the signs are as present as ever that the backcountry will be tricky for quite some time. If the slab gets any harder in this zone, it could produce some serious avalanches in the near future (D2 or worse).
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable