Observation: White Pine Gulch

Observation Date

2/16/2016

Observer Name

cammackenzie

Location Name or Route

white pine

Weather

Sky

Few

Wind Direction

Northwest

Wind Speed

Light

Weather Comments

steady warming throughout the morning. strong solar on S-SE aspects. light winds, no loading observed.

Snow Characteristics

Snow Surface Conditions

Melt-Freeze Crust

Rain-Rime Crust

Snow Characteristics Comments

Multiple crusts found. Rain crust below 8400'. Supportable rime crust above 9500', especially on NW aspects.

Red Flags

Rapid Warming

Poor Snowpack Structure

Red Flags Comments

Biggest concern today was wet activity with the strong solar and rapid warming. Not great snowpack structure but unable to get propagation or energy in tests. Quick hand pits showed high spatial variability across slopes in both total snow depth and slab depth.

Avalanche Problem #1

Problem

Wet Snow

Trend

Same

Problem #1 Comments

Good day to stay out from under south facing sunny slopes. By 1200, widespread small loose activity noted on south facing paths above little cottonwood.

Avalanche Problem #2

Problem

Normal Caution

Trend

Decreasing Danger

Problem #2 Comments

Stability seems to be improving as the snowpack is healing. Snowpack structure isn't great with buried weak layers/ slabs still present but not reactive. Shallow repeater paths that have slid multiple times this year seem to be most suspect.

Snow Profile

Aspect

North

Elevation

10,600'

Slope Angle

35°