Observation Date
2/3/2019
Observer Name
Travis Magaluk & John Pikus
Region
Skyline » Huntington Canyon
Location Name or Route
Huntington Canyon
Weather
Sky
Scattered
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Strong
Weather Comments
Surprisingly beautiful day on the Huntington side of the Skyline. Partly cloudy skies with strong winds throughout the day. It was a different story on the drive around the head of Fairview Canyon though with moderate snowfall and obscured skies.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
4"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
It was difficult to measure exactly how much snow fell due to the strong winds. My best guess is 3-6 inches above 9,000 feet in the areas we traveled. Snow was much less dense than we were expecting in sheltered areas, providing excellent ski conditions. Wind was actively transporting snow throughout the day and creating wind slabs of various thickness and density both near and well below ridgelines.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Cracking
Collapsing
Poor Snowpack Structure
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
Snow was rapidly being transported in areas observed. Encountered cracking and collapsing in areas that were recently loaded. Cross-loading was evident on North facing slopes. Our skintrack along a ridge was almost completely blown in after each lap (30-40 minutes.)
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments
Snowpack is much shallower and weaker on the Huntington side of the Skyline. Did not dig any pits, however frequent pole probes showed wind slabs anywhere from 6 inches to 2 feet thick above very weak faceted snow. With continued snowfall and high winds forecasted I would expect this problem to create potentially large avalanches over the next few days.
Comments
Toured in Engineer Canyon today from elevations of 8,100 feet to 9,900 feet. Biggest problem in areas we traveled would likely be wind slabs failing and stepping down into weak faceted snow beneath. Both on our tour and the drive on route 31 we witnessed very impressive displays of wind loading.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
High
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
High
Coordinates
