UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!
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Observation: Dessert Shot

Observation Date
2/24/2013
Observer Name
Max Forgensi
Region
Moab
Location Name or Route
Dessert Shot-Julies- Upper Funnel-North Woods
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
North
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Light snow falling all day. Winds out of the north greater than 15 mph, gusting to 30+. Winds surfacing along ridgelines and above treeline. Blowing snow all day.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
14"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments

Incredible powder conditions below treeline. High precipitation intensities last night allowed snow to move on low angled slopes (really did not run) on west, south, north and east aspects. Shooting cracks in soft wind slabs above treeline. Test slopes yielded positive results on westerly and southerly aspects above treeline. Very tender snowpack. All slopes greater than 35 degrees on all aspects, especially south and west aspects should be suspect. The "slippery" skin tracks of Friday and Saturday are now the weak layer (old snow/new snow interface).

Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Heavy Snowfall
Wind Loading
Cracking
Collapsing
Red Flags Comments
Avalanche Danger on Sunday should have been "high". Active wind loading, storm slabs due to inverted densities were the avalanche problems throughout the La Sal Range.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments

Active loading. 60 cm new snow in last 4 days to transport. Test slopes yielded positive results. Shooting cracks occurred above treeline.

Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments

Snow from storm #12 (2/21) was much less dense (4%) than storm #13. Ongoing storm. Hst=25cm Storm #12, H(i)= 35 cm Storm #13. Near surface faceting from last week very slippery. It may take some time for this instability to heal.

Comments

Photo #1 of a small test slope above treeline skier triggered. Numerous test slopes were reactive to ski cuts.

Best visibility of the day yielded observations of an R2D2 (storm slab) in the Corner Pocket #1 (middle of frame).