Observation Date
12/6/2012
Observer Name
Jason Konigsberg
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Silver-Days-Cardiff
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Calm
Weather Comments
Valley fog in the am to 7500ft. Clear up high and then obscured to 10000ft by 4pm.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Density
High
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Rain-Rime Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
Above 9500 ft 3-5"of new snow. Bonded well to previous new snow at upper elevations. Between 9000-9500ft 1-3" of snow overlying rain crust. Rain crust thickness varied greatly from an inch thick to a fragile paper thin crust.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
In general the rain and warm temperatures of late have added a lot of heat to the snowpack and eliminated the temperature gradient in the layer of facets that were buried on Dec. 2nd. In many places the facets are moist and rounding except above 9500ft (or maybe a little higher).
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
The areas of concern are above 9500ft on NW through NE where there wasn't much or any rain and the facet layer is still dry and capped by a wind crust. The faceted snow is still capable of propagating fractures (see attached snowpit) but isn't overloaded at this time. The dense snow above this layer is now a 30cm slab in isolated areas.
Didn't venture into higher alpine terrain (like LCC ridgeline) but in wind loaded areas the weak layer may be overloaded.
Snow Profile
Elevation
9,800'
Slope Angle
35°
Comments
Tried to get a handle on the distribution of the rain crust but it was very varied. It was up to an inch thick on one westerly facing slope at 9500ft (see picture below) and paper thin in other areas.
Coordinates
