Observation: Moab

Observation Date

12/7/2025

Observer Name

Ament, Hollis, Garcia

Region

Moab

Location Name or Route

Pinto Glades

Weather

Sky

Few

Wind Direction

Northwest

Wind Speed

Light

Weather Comments

Stellar early season days playing on low angle solar aspects. W and S receiving full sun, but the low sun angle kept the surface from becoming damp. The light NW breeze was blowing some rime off the ridgetop tree branches.

Snow Characteristics

Snow Surface Conditions

Powder

Wind Crust

Melt-Freeze Crust

Snow Characteristics Comments

Height of snow (HS) was averaging 30-40 cm at 10,300 ft on W-SW aspects. Snow was mostly supportable on grass and bushes, with a few rocks lurking. Surface conditions included sporadic pockets of 5-10 mm easily breakable melt-freeze and wind crust (see photo, under skis). Further up the Horse Creek Basin we observed more wind-scalloped snow surfaces and cross loading in gullies on the W face of Laurel Peak (see photo). Snowpack structure was not as poor as other parts of the range, but showing signs of faceting. Time to ski low angle solar meadows before the warm sunny days ahead!

Red Flags

Poor Snowpack Structure

Red Flags Comments

Shallow snowpack showing signs of faceting on all aspects.

Avalanche Problem #1

Problem

Wind Drifted Snow

Trend

Same

Problem #1 Comments

Not observed in our immediate area, but the wind loaded gullies on W aspects near tree line (NTL) on Laurel Peak. N facing aspects on the Laurel ridgeline also appeared wind loaded, as noted in other observations.

Avalanche Problem #2

Problem

Persistent Weak Layer

Trend

Same

Problem #2 Comments

As noted earlier, faceting is happening in the shallow snowpack with cold, clear nights.

Comments

"One who sees the summer grasses will find enlightenment, not rocks, when the new snows are thin." - Anonymous