Join us at our 2nd Annual Blizzard Ball

Observation: Silver Lake Highway

Observation Date
3/24/2023
Observer Name
Hardesty and Wilson
Region
Provo » American Fork » Tibble Fork » Silver Lake Highway
Location Name or Route
Silver Lake Highway
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Moderate Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Strong
Weather Comments
Violent frontal passage by 2pm. Notable wind shift and punishing winds. Lasted perhaps 30 minutes.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Heavy Snowfall
Cracking
Collapsing
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Experienced a large collapse ascending the low angle moraine west of Silver Lake Flat.
Snow Profile
Aspect
Northeast
Elevation
7,600'
Comments
A lot going on in the snowpack currently.
***The 3" of new snow was very sensitive. We noted three natural soft slabs in the steep rolls above tree-wells. Three inches deep and 10' wide. Still, I can't recall seeing this at this level before. Pics below.
***Lots of recent storm snow and wind in Provo since Tuesday (3.0" SWE) and significant wind transport that includes today's cold front. From the ridgeline, we triggered two very sensitive size 1 soft slabs of wind drifted snow.
***A very structured snowpack in top 50-80cm since the 1st (of now 3 )AR events since mid-month. This is what concerns me.
A rain crust (see profile) from this mid-month AR event is capped with in some areas - layers of facets - that provided a powerful collapse on low angle NE at 7570' just above Silver Lake Flat. We experienced a more subdued collapse at 7420' also on a NE aspect. This is consistent with collapsing noted yesterday above Aspen Grove and possibly (based upon crown depth and elevation) the structure responsible for the skier triggered avalanche /catch and carry above Aspen Grove that same day. (Different parties). THIS STRUCTURE will need to be monitored and approached with caution (ie-mid/low elevation terrain with the mid-March rain crust).
(It should be noted that two other thin crusts - buried 30cm and 60cm or so down today provided ECTP2 and ECTX.....but my take is that structure like this is not a good thing, particularly in areas we generally think of as "safe". )
Video
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
None
Coordinates