Observation Date
1/25/2017
Observer Name
Derek DeBruin
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Ben Lomond, Cutler Ridge, The Backyard
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Speed
Calm
Weather Comments
Temp of 20F upon leaving the trailhead (5400' 6:30am), and similar upon return to the car at 8:30am. Above treeline on the near 6600' temps felt a good bit cooler, but winds were calm. The day started with S- to S1 precip that slowly dissipated over the course of the tour as the cloud ceiling rose. By 8:30am snowfall had ceased at lower elevations with clouds around 8,000'+ and potentially a bit more snowfall there. However, in south Ogden (near Snowbasin/Mount Ogden), snow continued into mid-morning.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
3"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
Powder, and plenty of it. New snow overnight seemed like it was only a few inches, 3 to perhaps 6" at the most, though it was difficult to differentiate from yesterday's new snow. Old tracks had filled in some but were still evident. No signs of snow transport, and ski pen varied from as much as 60cm+ to as little as 20cm. Boot pen was thigh deep.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Heavy Snowfall
Red Flags Comments
Observed recent avalanches (see avalanche observations; occurred 1/23 and 1/24). Plenty of snowfall in the last few days to be concerning, though snow was tapered out during our quick laps. I'm sure there are structural problems in the snowpack to worry about with buried surface hoar, NSF, and possibly other facet layers, but as we were pressed for time we did not do any digging and instead elected to ride <30 degree terrain on some great powder.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
New Snow
Problem #1 Comments
Plenty of new snow, though it all seemed to be quite low density over the last 2 days. Could see the possibly for sluffing/loose dry as well.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Problem #2 Comments
My hunch is that the buried facet layer about 3' deep is responsible for the avalanches we saw as it was loaded with new snow.
Comments
I'm sure there will be plenty of interesting snow remaining tomorrow to keep things spicy and at Considerable hazard. Interested to see what effect the ridging will have on the lower elevation snow and its stability.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable
