Observation Date
1/4/2013
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
No Name Bowl
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Clear skies warm temps and light winds.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Faceted Loose
Snow Characteristics Comments
Two destinct types of snow in No Name Bowl. Skiers right side had a wind skin on it and you could not by a sluff with ski cuts. Skiers right side of the bowl was faceted and super loose, you could initiate long running sluffs with just a little proding. Snow on the south end of the compass was damp.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Comments

Went to No Name Bowl to find some recrystalized and non wind effected snow. Skiers right side had a wind skin but was still skiable. Skiers left side was faceted and super loose, long running sluffs could be initiated with little proding. The starting zone contained about 2.5 to3ft of rotten snow, with a decent load I suspect the bowl would avalanche to the ground, worst snow pack I have seen anywhere this year. Sluffs were not running fast or packing much punch but they were gouging down quite deep into the pack.

I suspect that the snow in the skiers right side was not as faceted because it does not get as much of a temperature gradient because it never sees the sun and also from the wind damage. Skiers left side receives more sun in the morning creating a larger temperature gradient. the sluffs are fairly manageable. No cracking or collapsing noted. A little vid on the slow moving sluffs.

Video
Video