Observation: Coalpit

Observation Date
3/29/2013
Observer Name
Hardesty and Wilson
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Coalpit Gulch
Weather
Sky
Scattered
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Periods of small grained graupel with convective showers; a stellar here and there. Maybe a half-inch storm total at best.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
1"
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

We saw it (almost) all. Dense powder above 9500' due north, hard supportable wind and m/f crusts up high. Hogum 100 was, uh, interesting. East facing Hypodermic Needle was supportable m/f crust with some damp grains beneath - no free water. Cloud cover slowed much softening of the crusts...and booting up high was fast in the couloir.

Upper 1000' of Coalpit held the last vestiges of dense powder; below that held a softening m/f zipper crust...with snow turning isothermal perhaps 8000' northerly...this is a rough estimate.

Overnight lows were in the upper 20s, low 30s in LCC Thursday night. That combined with intermittent cloud cover did not inspire much confidence at 430am; still an early start and an eye on conditions and cloud cover supported the route selection.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Rapid Warming
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Plenty of wet loose from the last 1 and 1/2 wet cycles....mostly west and east, some mid elev. north. Feel that we were able to avoid a significant cycle this go-around due to slowly warming temps and enough cloud cover. Perhaps some more wet activity with direct sun and warm temps this weekend -