Observation: Cutler Ridge

Observation Date
12/8/2023
Observer Name
Derek DeBruin & Sam Crow
Region
Ogden » Ben Lomond » Cutler Ridge
Location Name or Route
Ben Lomond, Cutler Ridge
Weather
Weather Comments
Socked in with low cloud ceiling (ca. 7000ft) during our midday tour. Northerly winds, light at low elevation increasing to moderate in earnest by 7200ft. S- increasing to S1 into the afternoon, with visibility going down and new snow height going up. Not complaining about that.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Characteristics Comments
15-20cm of new snow ca. 8000ft sitting on the old surface rain/melt crust. New snow was underlying graupel beneath rimed forms with stellars on top.
Wind skin was forming in exposed locations, with saltation and surface level snow transport.
Generally dust on crust style riding. Still very much low tide, but the exit has backed off from the pure terror of previous obs to merely puckering.
Comments
The general structure in the snowpack has he latest storm snow resting atop crust of various thickness, 10-15cm at low elevation, as thin as 1-2cm--but supportive--at 8000ft. Just beneath the crust are just the faintest of facets (0.5mm or so) intermingled with mixed forms. Below this is largely contiguous 4F to the ground. In places with old snow, we found about 10cm of damp basal facets.
No formal pit tests as we didn't find a meter of snow depth (we admittedly didn't go that high), meaning bushes abound in pits. However, hand shears failed at the crust/new snow interface, and then at the dirt or basal facets if present.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
None
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
None
Coordinates