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Observation: Porter Fork

Observation Date
12/15/2022
Observer Name
Weicht, Taylor
Region
Salt Lake » Mill Creek Canyon » Porter Fork
Location Name or Route
Porter Fork
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Collapsing
Poor Snowpack Structure
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
Wanted to dig some pits in the Low and Mid elevations where we have been seeing avalanches in the past two days. Dug in two different locations and found wildly different snowpacks.
1st: 7500' NE facing, HS:90, Found a very stout rain crust 36 cm from the ground. Facets sandwiched between the melt freeze from on the ground and this crust. No Propogation in ECT tests.
2nd: 8200' NE facing, HS:160, Only dug down to Nov. drought layer, this pit looked more similar to what I've been seeing in the upper Cottonwoods. Very week interface between drought layer and storms these past three weeks. Drought layer buried 1 meter down. ECTP 28 with sudden planar results.
Snow Profile
Aspect
Northeast
Elevation
7,500'
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable
Coordinates