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Observation: Dog Leg Trees

Observation Date
12/20/2012
Observer Name
Toby Weed
Region
Logan
Location Name or Route
Long Mountain
Weather
Sky
Broken
Wind Direction
South
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
South wind picked up around midday, with drifting noted off exposed ridges.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Faceted Loose
Snow Characteristics Comments
Sugary and faceted in the upper layers and faceted in the basal layers (fist hardness). Much less new snow from Sunday/Monday and total snow than in the central part of the range...
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Wind loading from south winds near ridge lines. Snowpack structure much worse in this area than I have seen elsewhere in the zone.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
You might trigger a dangerous avalanche on a very steep slope in the Providence Canyon Area.. Currently, due to recent sublimation, the slab lacks cohesiveness and energy. ECTs showed no propagation in today's tests, with the slab mostly falling apart before a compression failure occurred and shear failures not propagating across the slab bases...
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments
Fresh wind slabs were developing today in terrain exposed to drifting from south winds...
Comments
Found some neat frost crystals in the forest, near some probable vents from subterranean Karst formations....
There were numerous natural avalanches in upper Providence Canyon during Monday's intense storm. This is the ridgetop crown of one of several broad avalanches which ran off Milleville Peak's long ridge line.. And a small crown visible above my sled off the east ridge of Providence Peak...
Much shallower and weaker snow than I've been looking at in the Central Bear River Range. Fist-hard facets capped by two crusts with facets between and near surface facets developing in the upper pack to boot....