Observation Date
11/12/2015
Observer Name
Ted Scroggin
Region
Uintas » Mirror Lake Highway » Bald Mountain
Location Name or Route
East side of Bald Mt. -Hwy 150
Weather
Sky
Few
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Mild temperatures even at 10,000' with very light winds from the west.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
12"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Looks like some of the higher terrain around the Bald Mt. area recieved about 10-12" out of the wind zone. There are some deeper drifts on the north thru east aspects. Much of the area is still quite rocky and not connected with continuous snow cover limiting riding and turning opportunities. This early, the hazard is from all the rocks and trees just thinly covered. The highway is still being maintained which gives folks quick access to some of the more exposed terrain where some very isolated avalanche danger might exist.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Very isolated danger right now, but with the easy access from the road there are some pockets of wind drifts that are likely poorly bonded to the old weak sugary snow that was on the ground before the recent storm.
Comments
1. A few riders have been out dusting off their sleds, but the riding is very limited to smooth grassy areas.
I took a short trip up around the east side of Bald Mt. and the snow conditions are still thin. Looking at some of the areas that folks like to get into, there is a lot of hazards yet to cover.
In some of my quick hand pits I was finding damp snow near the ground and in the more cold shady locations weak sugary faceted snow.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low
