Observation: Moab

Observation Date

12/6/2025

Observer Name

Chris Benson

Region

Moab

Location Name or Route

Laurel Hwy

Weather

Sky

Obscured

Wind Direction

West

Wind Speed

Moderate

Weather Comments

Cloud deck at about 10,500 with some rime accumulation throughout the day. Winds picked up above tree line and were moderate to strong. Things began to clear towards sunset.

Snow Characteristics

Snow Surface Conditions

Powder

Wind Crust

Rain-Rime Crust

Snow Characteristics Comments

Hs near treeline was ~50cm on a NE sheltered aspect. Ridgelines were more wind influenced with clear evidence of previous transport, mostly from W and SW winds.

Red Flags

Cracking

Poor Snowpack Structure

Red Flags Comments

Observed a couple of shooting cracks on a westerly terrain feature in the choke of the funnel. Many aspects now harbor a buried weak layer of facets.

Avalanche Problem #1

Problem

Persistent Weak Layer

Trend

Same

Problem #1 Comments

Early season snow has become weak and faceted, including snow that fell the week before the Dec 1 storm.

While this is to be expected on northerlies, I was surprised to find facets below a 2-3 cm melt freeze crust on southerly aspect near and above treeline.

It seems like the overlying slab has stiffened a bit in the last week as evidenced by column tests and shooting cracks.

Choose to travel on southerly slopes and found decent skiing with last weeks settled storm snow on top of melt-freeze crust. When I lost the crust and changed aspects in a gully feature, I observed shooting cracks up to 40' that were likely breaking at the interface with last weeks storm.

Snow Profile

Aspect

Northeast

Elevation

11,200'

Slope Angle

25°

Comments

ECTP16 (X2) on NE aspect near treeline, failing below a thin melt-freeze crust with facets below the crust.

Video

Shooting cracks in the choke of the Funnel- more of a west/northwest aspect on skiers left.

1) Same area of concern, but looking upslope with wind affect on the snow surface

2)overview of the terrain.

I was surprised at the somewhat poor structure on southerlies and the shooting cracks on west/northwest. Good reminder of the complexity of this terrain and seems to warrant further sampling to see where the weak layers might still be reactive.

Today's Observed Danger Rating

Moderate

Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating

Moderate

Coordinates

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