Observation: Silver Fork

Observation Date
4/16/2013
Observer Name
Greg Gagne
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
East Bowl - Silver Fork
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Weather Comments
Some occasional S-1 snowfall. Windless at 10,400' atop peak above Honeycomb. -10C early morning.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
8"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments

About 20-25 cms (8-10") of somewhat dense snow sitting atop a variety of crusts, with the least supportable being on North aspects (Dave Kikkert noted this as well.) No wind loading observed at all.

Red Flags
Red Flags Comments
No red flags.
Comments

Early morning tour into East Bowl of Silver Fork. Ski cuts from the top of the ridgeline above Honeycomb easily generated sluffing in the new snow, with some sluffs entraining enough snow to knock you off of your skis. However, you needed to be on a steep aspects to get the sluffs to move at all. Otherwise no recent wind loading and weather stations in upper LCC indicated very light wind speeds < 10 mph from the NW/N.

Quick hand pits were showing the storm snow had bonded well to the crusts, although I wasn't necessarily expecting this since the temps have been cool over the past 48-72 hours.

Skiing out late morning SW aspects were still holding soft dry snow.

Apart from sluffing in the new snow on steeper terrain, avalanche hazard seemed generally Low today: no recent wind loading, not a substantial amount of new snow, and no warming.

Of course this can all change rather quickly this time of year and the hazard could easily bump up a notch or two if the wind speeds increase, if there is a burst of heavy snowfall, or the sun comes out. However, looking at weather models over the next 48 hours, none of this is forecasted to occur.