Observation: Chili Peak

Observation Date

2/18/2014

Observer Name

korydavis

Region

Ogden » North Ogden Canyon » Chili Peak

Location Name or Route

N.O. Divide to Chili Peak

Weather

Sky

Few

Wind Direction

Southwest

Wind Speed

Light

Weather Comments

Great day started it out just a bit on the cold side which made for great corn skiing around 11am. Warming on solar aspects but nothing moving.

Snow Characteristics

New Snow Density

High

Snow Surface Conditions

Wind Crust

Damp

Snow Characteristics Comments

There was a little graupel over night on Sunday which had blown around and pooled but nothing exciting. While you are all getting snow in your face in the cottonwoods we are corn skiing and digging full profile pits in the Ogden mountains. With a decent freeze last night the corn was great today. HS was between 190-too deep to measure. at around 8,000ft. There is a suspect graupel layer about 40 cm down which failed CT12 and 13 also ECTP 11 and 11. The rime layer from Jan 11th is still a factor I had a failure on the CT after the CT12 on the Graupel kept whacking and got a CT14 Q1 on the rime from Jan 11th. I was surprised to be able to effect this layer so far down. I have pic later to show this. The graupel layer is about 4 cm thick. Besides this it is pretty much what you see on the solar aspects. Temps cooled off in the afternoon creating a zipper crust on the way down (14:00).

Red Flags

Rapid Warming

Poor Snowpack Structure

Red Flags Comments

Did not expect to find the graupel.

Avalanche Problem #1

Trend

Same

Problem #1 Comments

The new graupel layer is interesting. I was not expecting to find this in the new snow. It has been awhile since I have been out. The graupel is frozen now so it is not bonding with its friends like a graupel layer around 11 down. If I have to pick a second problem it would still be the rime layer from Jan 11th about 123cm down or 114cm up from the ground but this still falls under persistent slab.

Avalanche Problem #2

Problem

Wet Snow

Trend

Decreasing Danger

Problem #2 Comments

Today wet avalanches were the second problem but with drastic cooling I do not think this will be an issue for a couple days.

Snow Profile

Aspect

East

Elevation

8,100'