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Observation Date
1/17/2013
Observer Name
Muller
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Neffs Canyon to Mount Olympus area
Weather
Sky
Clear
Weather Comments
Down low, between 6 and 6500 feet was the height of the pollution. Above that it warmed significantly
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Down low, snow was low density, with fresh surface hoar approximately 6-8 mm in size. Up high, there had been significant wind effect, with portions being highly supportable, and quickly turning to breakable wind crust, where one would auger in. At 9000, while attempting to access a N-NE facing chute, around the West side of peak just SE of Mount Olympus, small wet sluffs were being triggered by large wet rollerballs about the size of mini-fridges. It was probably possibly to find just about every type of snow out there today.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Rapid Warming
Red Flags Comments
Very easy to initiate wet pushalanches, and I think on the SW-W facing slopes I checked out at about 2 pm, there was a considerable avalanche danger for wet slides.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wet Snow
Problem #1 Comments

Although easy to recognize, the slopes up high had the highest danger for wet activity, and down low , below 6-6500 feet where the temperature cooled significantly, there was no danger. I believe this was the most significant activity I found for the day

Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Problem #2 Comments

In Neffs canyon, there had been significant wind slabbing in the past storm, and I think the possibility of bringing out a stubborn wind slab on weak buried snow is a possibility.