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Observation: Moab

Observation Date
12/27/2021
Observer Name
Nauman, Quinn
Region
Moab
Location Name or Route
Prelude, North Woods
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Strong
Weather Comments
It was a cold and windy day spent finding wind sheltered pockets of the north woods with fun snow. Honestly the wind direction was hard to assess due to the intensity of times. The forest is a bit scary right now with all the wind and burned areas. We were very careful to find wind sheltered pockets with no forest hang fire. In the lower north woods, we stopped about 150m up gradient of the meadow out of the wind, but heard a large tree fall along the meadow edge where the wind was whipping - a humbling experience to hear a crash like that.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
2"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
The snow was really fun in the wind sheltered areas of the trees. I'd agree with Dave's styrofoam descriptor with a really supportable base - really fun poppy turning. The wind was ripping anything exposed (including us) to shreds and there was a lot of snow being moved around. I really wanted to peek at something westerly with an open canopy to see if the October facets persisted. Unfortunately, the basal facets on lower Prelude were pretty scary. The upper slab is not that reactive at present in our 2 ECT tests, but a CT test failed easily with 5 light taps. This puts us in the scary gray zone we are so used to in the La Sals. All non-southern slopes above 10500 are suspect until proven otherwise.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
The snow was really supportable, but many pole pokes and our pit hint a broader extent of the rotten October snow than I was hoping for...
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
The wind is crazy, and I'm sure there will be a least a couple wind slides that pull out. The question is if those will step down to the October facets. With more snow coming as well, I'm guessing we will have some kind of cycle over the next 48 hrs.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments
The more I look, the more facets I've found. Today I found 32 cm of nasty basal facets under an open canopy on a 290 deg aspect at 11,500' - arg. I would not be surprised if this layer became active over the next few days.
Snow Profile
Aspect
West
Elevation
11,500'
Slope Angle
27°
Comments
Wind was whipping from top to bottom except in the deep dark hollows
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable