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Observation: Gobblers

Observation Date
2/16/2019
Observer Name
T Diegel, Patterson, Gregersen, Gustafson
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Mill Creek Canyon » Mill A » Butler Fork » Gobblers
Location Name or Route
Gobblers
Weather
Sky
Broken
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
wind seems to have shifted from the days of south/SW to NW for this storm.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
8"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
the new snow seemed to bond pretty well to the old, which was a mixed bag of crusts and settled powder depending on the elevation/aspect.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Heavy Snowfall
Wind Loading
Red Flags Comments
the storm that came in last night seemed to lay down the snow fairly evenly, and there wasn't much windslabbage on top of the prior windslabbage, which was nice.
Comments
We dug a handful of quick hand pits on both north and south facing and though there was some clean shears a foot+ down, it took a fair bit of effort to get them out, and the bond of the new snow to the old seemed pretty good.
We skied a variety of slopes on S, SW, and NW aspects and saw folks ski SE and E facing lines that have all avalanched in the past, but did not today. Have the 'pack's cranky layers been capped?
You could probably hunt down a crackable windslab tomorrow if you tried (I haven't looked at the forecast yet to see what the wind is going to do) and I still wouldn't probably bet on the highest/most exposed lines, but the trend seems good....
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate