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Observation: Moffit Basin

Observation Date
3/7/2023
Observer Name
Craig Gordon/Cody Hughes
Region
Uintas » Moffit Basin
Location Name or Route
Moffit and Humpy Drainages
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Cat and mouse day with clouds, viz, and brief glimpses of sunshine. Winds increased late in the day, but did little to effect the avy hazard.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
8"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
Connected with PC Cats crew and UAC alumni for a weather station project in Humpy Creek
And in between work projects, found surfy snow on a go-anywhere base
Red Flags
Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Isolated collapse on a southeast facing slope... see below.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
Minor active loading on leewared slopes in the wind zone.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments
Cody Hughes seen here pointing to a weak, facted layer underneath a MF crust, producing an ECTP 4.
I think it's a bit of an outlier, but we experienced a collpase on a high elevation SE aspect. (Might be something to keep an eye on with a robust AR headed our way). I often think southeast aspects in the Uinta's have a little more polar, than solar to their snow structure, and this zone is unusually thin. Thought is... it got stripped by the big northeast, Valentines wind event and the snow surface faceted with the vey cold temperatures that followed.
Snow Profile
Aspect
Southeast
Elevation
10,400'
Slope Angle
28°
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates