Observation Date
11/22/2013
Observer Name
Hardesty, Pollick, O'Connor
Region
Ogden » Powder Mountain
Location Name or Route
James Peak periphery - note: need pass to access this terrain
Weather
Sky
Scattered
Wind Direction
Northeast
Wind Speed
Strong
Weather Comments
Moderate to strong easterly winds loading west through northerly aspects. If the wind had suddenly stopped, we'd have fallen over.
Glad to have Powder Mountain snow safety pro Brian Pollick provide the hospitality and local snow/weather history -
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
Well, it wasn't hero snow. Rather, we kept our skins on the entire time, even skinning down James Peak with plenty of traverses and kick turns along the way. Still wouldn't trade it for the world.
Wind damage at nearly all elevations with drifts along and well off the ridgelines. Many easterly areas well scoured.
At 9400' northerly facing James Peak 1.5-2' exists on the ground with the bottom 8" consisting of loose cohesionless grains.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Cracking
Collapsing
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Three small to moderate (not localized to skis) collapses into underlying basal facets>depth hoar, all on northerly recently wind loaded terrain above 8800'. Plenty of cracking 40' above us in the increasingly hard slabs in representative terrain.
It was noted that no cracking/collapsing had occurred since Tuesday of this week. Clearly the wind loading is "the new load."
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
We found weak faceted basal snow on northerly facing terrain (estimated at 330* NW > 30 N) down to 8500'. That is, the structure existed down to that low elevation, though the hazard more along the lines of 8800' and higher.
Extended column tests still elicited full propagation with a moderate number of taps (17-22) -
Photo - Brian Pollick pointing down to the weak faceted snow 16" down.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments
Soft and hard slabs abound.
Remember, when you're walking on in
The "avalanches" were 1'-2' deep and perhaps 50' wide....collapsed, cracked, but didn't move.
Comments
Wind drifting below - smooth, rounded in the lee of the ridgeline; other eroded snow either sublimated or deposited well down the slope in various patterns and whales.
Note - in the video - the clear eroding from the easterly facing terrain...
Video
Collapse with crack jetting out of the snowpit to viewer's right. This at 8800' northerly wind loaded terrain.
Beautiful etching with the winds
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates
