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Observation: Kessler Peak

Observation Date
2/18/2013
Observer Name
Hardesty
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Argenta-East Couloir-Catcher's Mit-Deep Pockets-Benson/Reed
Weather
Sky
Few
Weather Comments
Saturday's clear and cool weakened the snow surface and was capped in localized terrain by 2mm surface hoar, well noted by observers. Much of it now has the "couple traces" of low density stellars where not wind affected by Sunday's frontal passage. Even old skin tracks were "slippery" with the few mms of new. This noted on north and east aspects (sitting above Saturday's melt freeze crust). Pic below today's high cirrus (note the amazing SunDog), calm to light wind, and continued cool temps likely did little to decay either the semi-weak snow surfaces from Saturday or the low density stellars from Sunday. More below...
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments

Red Flags
Red Flags Comments
Triggered a few shallow 3" 1-finger hardness wind slabs mid-elevation northeast facing terrain just lee of roll-overs in "Deep Pockets" http://wbskiing.com/2726 Still lingering drifts from Sunday, not enough to be a concern there, just ruined the skiing in that area...What else? When crossing back across the creek from Reed/Benson, I noted localized cracking/collapsing in the weak snow buried 8-10" down; also seemed locally confined to the creekbed/valley.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem #1 Comments

Noted hard slab natural off the Benson-Reed ridgeline from - perhaps - Saturday? More info here.

Comments

Looking to map out some of the snow surface conditions prior to the next storm.

  • Weakest snow seemed to be at the surface as noted above. Winds expected to increase tomorrow, though not accompanied by high rates of precipitation...which characterizes the Tues-Thurs storm...this may be a pockety problem associated by the initially moderate to strong southerly winds on Tuesday...
  • Tests offered hard initiation in mixed forms at the top of the late January facets interface...though this did not propagate across the column. Not overly concerned here.
  • Mid to low elevation shady terrain, particularly northwest facing had a very weak snow structure as promoted by limited depths (3-4' deep) and inversions...Just lacking a slab/load here....and not overly concerned at this point.
Video

Quick note on terrain traps in lower Cardiff Fork -