Get Your Ticket to the 32nd Annual Backcountry Benefit on September 11th! Support Forecasting, Awareness, and Education
Ad
The National Forest Service Logo
icon-add Observation
Forecasts
Logan Ogden Salt Lake Provo Uintas Skyline Moab Abajos Weather Archives How to read the forecast
Observations & Avalanches
Submit Observation Observations Explorer All Observations Avalanches Fatalities Weather Place Names Map Archives
Education
Avalanche Class List UAC Class List Online Classes Resources and Tutorials Avalanche Awareness Develop Skills
Events
Store
About
Contact Who we are Core Values Staff Board of Directors Past Forecasters Sponsors Annual Reports Sign In
Blog
icon-add Observation
Donate / Join

Observation Date
1/11/2013
Observer Name
Jake Hutchinson
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
PC Ridge - Homerun Bowl
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Moderate Snowfall
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Strong
Weather Comments
Slightly less than pleasant on the ridge this AM, but it keeps the crowds down. Lots of snow moving around in all the usual places. Wind direction was more wsw than sw
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
10"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
Wind has made the skiing interesting. Dense wind slab in upper part of new snow, sitting on top of lighter, less dense new snow.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Cracking
Collapsing
Red Flags Comments
Localized cracking and minimal collpasing in recent wind deposits
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments

Kicked small/medium cornices along ridge, triggered a few very small and sluggish windslabs, less than 6" deep and running less than 50 feet.

Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments

Facets just under rime crust are a potential game changer. They are extremely weak, but the crust may allow a more substantial slab to build on top before failing. Eerily similar to the 2002 event that caused more than a few large avalanches. Will be interested to watch this in the coming days.

Snow Profile
Aspect
Northeast
Elevation
9,400'

Localized cracking on the skin up

Small cornice chunks, pretty sensitive but breaking a bit wider than anticipated

Coordinates