Observation Date
1/17/2013
Observer Name
G Gavin
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Tanner's Gulch
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
South
Wind Speed
Calm
Weather Comments
Calm cold morning quickly changed to warm and sunny after sunrise.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Snow surface varied from frozen slough/roller balls in the lower gulley to freeze thaw crust in the middle bowl to wind board in the upper main chute. Rapid warming changed the snowpack considerably in the morning. Conditions on the way up would have been very unfavorable ski conditions, but the warming created good skiable crust conditions.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Cracking
Rapid Warming
Red Flags Comments
2-4" wind slabs dominated the upper elevation aspects in Tanners, and will be something to watch out for. Skinning across slopes one could propagate short 4-6ft slabs to break in the most shallow snow pack areas. These propagation's were exclusive to the 2-4" wind crust breaking at a maximum of 4-5ft long and 2-3ft wide. Very firm, and reminded me of trundling rocks in the summer the way they pick up speed and slide down hill. The crust formed by the high pressure from a week or so ago is well bonded to the overlying new snow from last week. The older facet layer underlying all of this is forming rounded grains of about 1mm in diameter, and is in the beginning stages of healing...or so it would seem. Pit's looked good with columns breaking at the previous freeze thaw crust at a depth of 12inches with a few healthy swats from the elbow.
Snow Profile
Aspect
South
Elevation
9,800'
Comments
Overall the snow pack was well bonded, and very stubborn. Riding conditions varied from chalky wind slab up high to frozen slough piles in the bottom gully. The biggest concerns with lines like these right now are warming trends creating large sloughs off the south east facing aspects in the morning and the south west aspects in the afternoon. These sloughs are large enough to knock you off your feet and potentially bury you if you get caught in a particularly large one. Get in and get out early.
Coordinates
