Observation: Raymond Slabs

Observation Date
3/1/2016
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Mill Creek Canyon » Porter Fork » Raymond Slabs
Location Name or Route
Raymond Rock Slabs
Weather
Sky
Few
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Cloudy in the am, sunny in the PM, warm air temps but a cooling NW breeze kept it comfortrable.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

Pretty much every type of surface condition except powder, SW was still bullet proof at 10am and was beyond damp on our exit at 2:30. Wind crust with graupel underlying it was the main course in Piece of Pie in the Raymond rock slabs, settled faceted snow at mid elevation north facing.=, damp snow below 8000ft.

Comments

No red flags today but did note a few things that might be important when it does start to snow again. First thing of note was the thinner snow pack areas such as the starting zone in Piece of Pie which has avalanched multiple time this year, there was 2 to 3 feet of completely unconsolidated rotten snow in the top of the run seems as though it wouldn't take much of a load to get it to avalanche again, also the wind crust has preserved a layer of loose graupel under it and that may also present itself as a weak layer when loaded. Down lower on shady N aspects the surface snow has faceted out to a degree that the new snow may not bond well when it arrives.

photos: Piece of Pie, skier triggered roller balls on W facing below 9000ft at 2:30pm, still dry snow on the high protected N facing but it's hard to come bye.

Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low