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Observation: Ben Lomond

Observation Date
4/6/2019
Observer Name
Hardesty, Rich
Region
Ogden » Ben Lomond
Location Name or Route
Ben Lomond
Weather
Sky
Broken
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Warm, obscured along Skyline
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
1"
New Snow Density
High
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Rapid Warming
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Size 2 wet loose running 700’ from Wed storm; some WL-N-1 today south facing; minor pushalanches in mid-elevations.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wet Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
Wet snow all aspects and elevations. Settled 1” up high over mostly supportable crust w wet grains beneath. Northerly aspects have layers of crust and barely consolidated wet grains. Mid and low elevation shady areas supportable on skis but not on foot.
We skied the main east face of Ben Lomond but only bc the clouds had kept the snow surface just cool enough.
Trick will be to get up early and off steep terrain before the snow becomes unsupportable. Crusts will bridge over top 16” of alternating crusts and coarse mf grains. Collapsing should be viewed as a red flag as well as other more obvious clues.
Mid elev trending higher most problematic. Highest elev only superficial wet issues.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments
8100’ and 8700’ shady aspects found Equinox surface hoar buried 90cm down and unreactive or not at all. Belief is that warmth and weight and rain to 8k of the past 2weeks storms 3” roughly swe has “thinned” the layer and would be surprised to hear of collapsing, reactive tests much less avalanching.
Comments
Pics
example of wet loose debris from Wednesday
pointing at buried SH that should be done
obscured and in the clouds
allowed for skiing off the main BL summit
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
None