Observation Date
12/31/2012
Observer Name
Robin Jones
Region
Logan
Location Name or Route
Mt. Elmer
Weather
Sky
Few
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Cold and clear in the morning with clouds and wind building throughout the afternoon at higher elevations. Cold temps overnight drove significant surface hoar formation.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
2'
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
Beautiful day to be skiing in the Bear River high country! We observed lower density snow throughout the pack at higher elevations than at mid-elevations yesterday, especially in the older snow. Slight cornice building at the ridge top and a little wind stiffening at mid-elevations. We skied E and NE aspects - surface conditions were mostly powder (and surface hoar) with a little bit of wind affected snow. We kicked off some minor sloughs (new snow only) in steeper slopes around rock outcrops.
Snow Profile
Aspect
Northeast
Elevation
9,400'
Slope Angle
Unknown
Comments
Excellent stability. New snow density F to 4F-, older snow 4F to 1F. About 20 cm of faceted on the ground but no CT failures anywhere in an isolated column. Grains in the ground layer were small and mixed with some faceted faces and some rounds. Note: in yesterday's profile about 1000 ft lower on a NE slope, the density of the old snow was P.
Coordinates
