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Observation: Cutler Ridge

Observation Date
12/22/2012
Observer Name
Lee Fortin
Region
Ogden
Location Name or Route
Cutler Ridge
Weather
Sky
Few
Wind Direction
Southeast
Wind Speed
Strong
Weather Comments
It was high overcast in the AM but cleared out with high cirrus clouds around 1100. Winds were moderate to strong gust on the upper Cutler ridge a couple of times a gust would come up and you had to hang onto your stuff or it was gone.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
When the wind comes out of the south it has it,s way with Cutler ridge and it was mostly all wind hammered with wind slabs. The only snow that was protected from the wind was the lower elevation stuff but that is to thin to ski. Not much when it comes to skiing up here mostly poking around. I did get up a little above the snotel site (8000ft) to get a look at the main ridge line with aspirations to get up there but saw that the wind destroyed that too. Didn't feel like skiing breakable wind slab today.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Red Flags Comments
The wind moved the snow all around and created wind slabs in various aspects. With this it is going create a lot of variation because the slabs were supportable in areas and just a 20 or 30 feet away it wasn't supportable or not there at all.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Comments
I did some testing on a little slope above snotel site. It is 20 degrees on the compass at 8000ft, mainly just to see the snow pack structure. The total snow depth is 90cm but most likely wind deposted. At 30cm there is a 20cm thick very stout melt freeze crust that had a couple of layers in it but was bonded together below that it was all facets. Above the melt freeze crust was old 4F snow to about 75cm then fist snow up to about the surface with a 2cm wind slab on the surface. Did a compression test, CT24Q2 the extended column test had no failure. Looked at the melt freeze crust old snow interface and it looked like buried surface facets. The layer between my glove and snow saw is the stout melt freeze crust.
The buried surface facets between the melt freeze crust and the old snow.
The wind damage, no good skiing to be found here.
The skin track up and ski down, very thin.