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Observation: Mill Creek

Observation Date
3/19/2022
Observer Name
Ted Scroggin
Region
Uintas » Mill Creek
Location Name or Route
Mill Creek
Weather
Sky
Few
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Mostly high thin clouds, mild temperatures and light winds that were not changing the conditions while I was out.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Firm crusty melt freeze snow this morning getting out of the trailhead, but with some elevation gain and a change to a more northerly aspect snow conditions were soft settled powder.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Collapsing
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
One decent collapse as I was moving around on the ridge line, likely a thin scoured area with dense wind blown snow on top of less dense snow. The snow pack in this area is thinner than areas west of the highway with only about 140cm (60"). The snow pack here is generally faceted sugary snow with the last storm snow sitting on top. I did not observe any old avalanche activity where I was, but higher in the drainage I would think there were some pockets from the series of storms last week.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
The poor snow pack structure in this area has adjusted somewhat to the slab on top, but I would not trust this set up on steep terrain and with snow on the way. I did get a fracture to propagate in a snow test, but it took some hard hits from the shoulder. I'm always amazed how different the snow pack is over in this location and it's not that far from the trailhead where the snow pack is deeper.
Comments
The snow pack structure in this area is quite poor with a slab of denser snow on top of generally weaker snow underneath almost to the ground. It took some hard hits on the shovel from my shoulder to get a fracture to travel across a column, but I'm not sure I would trust this snow pack in steep terrain on slopes that are on the north side of the compass.
Spent the morning around Mill Creek in the East Fork Fire area that burned in 2002. Mostly high thin clouds, light winds and some nice views of the High Uintas.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
None
Coordinates