Fall Auction is now live! Check it out now

Observation: Session Mountains

Observation Date
1/30/2023
Observer Name
Champion
Region
Salt Lake » Session Mountains
Location Name or Route
Session Mountains
Weather
Sky
Few
Wind Direction
Northeast
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Very cloud temperatures with generally clear skies with a few high-stratus clouds in and out throughout the day.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Wind Crust
Rain-Rime Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
Primarily a soft cold powder on a supportable base. A few areas had a bit stiffer wind-drifted snow along ridgetops. Heavy riming on trees, and rock features on ridgelines.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Red Flags Comments
Signs of wind drifted snow and growing cornices. No signs of recent avalanche activity outside of easy sluffing in the areas we traveled.
Comments
Cold day in the backcountry. Headed up from Bountiful into the Session mountains to look at the recently wind-drifted snow and any interfaces that may currently exist. The overall snow surface was soft, with little signs of scouring even along ridgelines thatpreviouslyevious scoured. Tested a few steeper slopes that looked as though they had received some wind drifting, and could only get sluffing. We looked at the upper 3-4' on a North Aspect at 8500'. The height of the snow was 255 cm. There was a layer of 2-3mm graupel 15 cm down but did not get any results on that layer. 25cm down we found a pencil hard melt-freeze crust. Got ECTN23 below the crust. No obvious near-surface facets above or below the crust. The crust seemed to match the riding conditions. We did not see any other signs of recent avalanche activity where we traveled.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates