Observation Date
12/17/2014
Observer Name
Michael Janulaitis
Region
Uintas » Upper Weber Canyon » South Fork Weber River » Duke Bowl
Location Name or Route
Duke via Upper Setting
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Speed
Calm
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Melt-Freeze Crust
Red Flags
Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Snow Profile
Aspect
Northwest
Elevation
10,500'
Slope Angle
25°
Comments

It was my first day up to Duke today and I was able to get up without getting stuck once. The snow was surprisingly supportive. I suspect all the warm weather has something to do with that.That is the ground is warm and so is the air so the facets have not had as much of a chance to grow as they typically do. There was quite a bit of green housing effect today keeping the temps warm again. The high elevation tress are rimed, there is wide spread surface hoar development on the ridgelines and suncrusts on the south side of the compass. I dug in a high elevation low angle NW slope and wasn't able to get any propagation in my snow stability tests however my compression tests were failing easily on the new snow old snow interface with resistant planar fractures. The snow pack is thin and facets are growing.

Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates