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Observation: Moab

Observation Date
3/24/2020
Observer Name
Dave Garcia
Region
Moab
Location Name or Route
Funnel and Showoff
Weather
Sky
Few
Wind Direction
South
Wind Speed
Moderate
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
12"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
3 inches at the study plot and 8 to 12 inches up high! Another sleeper pow day in the La Sals. Low density snow becoming medium density by the afternoon. Turning conditions were excellent. The snow was getting heavy below 10,400 around 2 PM. No signs of wet activity until around the dessert shot at the end of the day. 68 inches on the snow stake.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Red Flags Comments
Moderate winds out of the south continued to blow snow onto Northerly aspects. Not as much snow blowing around today as there was during the storm, but loading was still occurring.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
PWL still exists on north and east facing. Today I avoided these slopes and did not investigate. It will be a while before I feel good skiing in avalanche terrain on these aspects. Today we skinned and skied on SW through WNW. Dug a pit on a SW slope at 10,900 and found stable snow.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments
Wind loading still occurring on Northerly aspects. Got a good look at terrain in Gold Basin today. Most everything in Red Snow, Middle, and Talking Mountain is no go right now due to wind loading. Lone Pine is freshly loaded. El Pinche (WNW) was on my radar to maybe ski, but it is also loaded up top.
Photo 1: Snow pit on Showoff at 10,900 feet. Aspect is 242. 150 cm depth. At this elevation you can see 6 inches of new snow from yesterday in the top of the pit. New snow depth was very elevation dependent. New snow is sitting on a thin solar crust that formed on Sunday. The rest of the recent snowfall is below this solar crust and on top of a very thick pencil to knife hard ice crust. There are some large grained facets beneath this ice crust. The facets are damp and rounding. I conducted a compression test with no results. I could pull the entire column of snow out as one unit down to the ground.
Photo 2 and 3: Wind loaded El Pinche and Lone Pine.
Photo 4: Trail breaking in ten inches of pow!
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates