Observation: Uintas

Observation Date
3/14/2020
Observer Name
Michael Janulaitis
Region
Uintas
Location Name or Route
Hoyt Peak
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Moderate Snowfall
Wind Direction
Southeast
Wind Speed
Strong
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
12"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Heavy Snowfall
Wind Loading
Cracking
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Comments
I was up on Hoyt today and found a foot of new snow. The wind has had it's way and moved snow all over the place creating huge drifts around the ridges and wind load waves in the open meadows. The wind ripped all day out of the SE. Even the beetle kill were swinging. Right away I set off a remote cornice failure with my sled as I approached the ridge line down low from the rear. That slide was about 30 feet wide and ran about 30 feet. Next I internally skinned up a small feature to verify the weak interface. The slope failed exactly where I expected it to. I was pulled down about 10 feet with my skis under the foot deep slab. The slab was about 60 feet long by 15 feed high. After that I intentionally triggered a larger and potentially harmful slide here. Finally, on my last skin up another slide naturally triggered that went right up to my skin track placed just out of harms way. That one was about 80 feet by 15 feet. The entrances to all the NW terrain that I was in had significant wind loading but once down a little lower housed nice powder. Finally the last pic is of another natural that ran through some trees. It was a slidy but manageable day.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
High
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable