Ad
The National Forest Service Logo
icon-add Observation
Forecasts
Logan Ogden Salt Lake Provo Uintas Skyline Moab Abajos Weather Archives How to read the forecast
Observations & Avalanches
Submit Observation Observations Explorer All Observations Avalanches Fatalities Weather Place Names Map Archives
Education
Avalanche Class List UAC Class List Online Classes Resources and Tutorials Avalanche Awareness Develop Skills
Events
Store
About
Contact Who we are Core Values Staff Board of Directors Past Forecasters Sponsors Annual Reports Sign In
Blog
icon-add Observation
Donate / Join

Observation: Butler Basin

Observation Date
12/16/2012
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Butler Basin
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Moderate Snowfall
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Colder temps than yesterday, snowing moderately, winds increasing in the afternoon.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
15"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
Right side up, low density snow, mostly non wind affected in the areas traveled today.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Poor snow structure in Butler Basin, a few facet crust sandwiches mid pack, and loose facets at the ground, just missing a slab with some weight.
Comments
Sluffing of the new snow was still the only instability noted today but thats probably going to change with more precip and wind. The new snow was not as touchy as yesterday after some settlement, but you could still initiate sluffs in the new snow in steeper terrain, and once they got going they would gouge down to the old snow new snow interface.
Did note some soft slab formation on the ridge-lines formed by wind but it was localized to the ridges. Pics cracking in the new winded snow on the ridge-line, continued sluffing in steeper terrain. No collapsing noted today.