Observation: Mt Ogden

Observation Date
4/19/2020
Observer Name
Derek DeBruin
Region
Ogden » Snowbasin » Mt Ogden
Location Name or Route
Mount Ogden, Snowbasin
Weather
Weather Comments
Began as a calm day in the Wasatch in the low to mid elevations; it shortly transitioned to a calm day in Patagonia (sustained breeze) once above 8300ft or so. At the ridgeline it felt like a normal day in Patagonia--windy! Sustained moderate winds, gusting stronger, occasionally blasting enough to knock one off balance on their skins. Relatedly, there was still some snow available for transport up high (photo below). Cornice growth and pockets of wind slab can't be ruled out. A high, thin layer of stratus was present much of the morning with a lower layer of patchy cumulus underneath. Sun lit the slopes on and off as the wind moved clouds past.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Characteristics Comments
Listening to Operation Ivy on the morning's drive hinted at the overnight Freeze Up. This was pretty thin at low and mid elevations. However, the itinerant cloud cover and persistent wind at upper elevation meant uphill travel was fast provided you didn't slip on the hard, icy surface (ski crampons advisable). This also meant that the mid-morning corn didn't develop fully, making for chattery turns on the frozen surface.
There was a brief moment of great corn skiing on smooth slopes between about 8500 and 7800ft or so, but I imagine this was short lived. Below this surface conditions were quite damp, grabby, and not terribly inspiring.
Red Flags
Red Flags Comments
Many, many wet avalanches yesterday (20200418) and/or Friday afternoon. The west side bowls of the Mount Ogden ridgeline featured small slides beneath pretty much all rock. Additional avalanches were present at the Sisters in Strawberry, below the chutes of Mount Ogden, in the Race Starts, in the Middle Bowl zone, etc. Some of these were new paths with the recent warming that hadn't run yet this spring, and otherwise were repeat paths running farther and longer than previously.
Comments
New avalanche in the race starts, running about 350 vertical feet.
Cornices still loom. For scale, the treetop in the photo of Porky's is about 4 or 5 feet tall.
Clear wind transport of snow over the cornice lip on the Mount Ogden ridgeline.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
None
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
None