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: Gobblers Knob

Observation Date
1/28/2013
Observer Name
P Diegel
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Gobbler's Knob
Weather
Sky
Broken
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
9"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
New snow not bonding well to old -sluffing off easily
Red Flags
Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Complicated structure with rime crust and rain(?) crust
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
New Snow
Problem #1 Comments

Not enough new snow to be a problem today, but the potential for problems exists if some wind xport occurs or much new snow piles up

Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
New Snow
Problem #2 Comments

ECT 21 Q1, failing on facets at the ground (about 35 cm thick). The ECT popped out enthusiastically and the slab did not break up when it hit me - pretty solid even at the crust interfaces. Total snow depth 145 cm. Pit dug on the edge of the trees, near the top of the normal skin track used to access the NW face of Gobblers, elevation 9344 ft

Comments

There was a pretty stout slab about 1 m thick sitting on weak facets at the ground. Could a skier trigger that? Seems unlikely but consequences would be bad. Concerned about thinner areas. Also concerned about adding more snow and wind - last night's snow was not adhering well to the previous surface. No evidence of wind xport but the wind was beginning to pick up