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Observation Date
1/4/2013
Observer Name
Evelyn
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Spruces-Big Water-Wilson-Mill Creek
Weather
Sky
Clear
Weather Comments
Still cold in the drainages and shade, but sunny ridgelines were windless and pleasantly warm.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Faceted Loose
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Snow surface continues to weaken, especially on sheltered, shady mid and low elevations. Warm enough for southerly facing slopes to be going through shallow melt/freeze cycles.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Problem #1 Comments

Not much going on on the macro level - minor sluffing, the few older hard wind slabs seemed unreactive, and the mid and lower pack facet layers seem dormant for the moment. All the action is on the micro level, where we can't really observe it happening, just the results. The metamorphism of the surface snow crystals continues - near surface faceting, capped off with surface hoar in areas. Weakest snow is on mid and lower elevation shady, northerly facing slopes. Sun and heating seem to be destroying the R and R crusts on some southerly facing slopes, replacing them with melt/freeze crusts.