UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Observation: Big Drift/Skyline Summit

Observation Date
3/13/2023
Observer Name
Magerl
Region
Skyline » Scofield Reservoir » Gooseberry Creek » Big Drift/Skyline Summit
Location Name or Route
South Skyline/Big Drift area
Weather
Weather Comments
Sky was cloudy most of the day. But at about 12:30 P.M., the sun came out blazing, and within five minutes almost everything changed. There was a wave of rollerballs tumbling down a steep south-facing slope at about 8.600'. Rime started dropping from the trees, changing the creamy powder in the aspens to an icy, pockmarked surface, and this was on north-facing. The sun went away pretty quickly, but the damage was done. The next lap down, all the fluff was now heavy. Stayed cloudy the rest of the afternoon, but we found snow had heavied up on all aspects. This despite the weather station at Skyline showing a high temperature for the day of 30.7, around 1:30 P.M. Light wind from the WSW all day.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Characteristics Comments
Mixed signals from the snow today. On a 37-degree pitch, north facing, mid-slope, at 9,200', found the same ice layer as yesterday, this time about 40 cm down. A hasty pit had this small column fail on isolation. This was before 11 A.M. and before the sun heavied up the snow. But we also jumped on several 35-degree short pitches in the same aspect and the same elevation to about 300 feet below (9,200' to 8,900') and none of them were reactive. Even hit one short 40-degree slope and nothing moved. You could look back and see the turn had carved down to the ice layer (obvious visual difference) but there was no sloughing, cracking or collapsing.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate