Observation: Powder Mountain Backcountry

Observation Date
11/27/2015
Observer Name
Evelyn
Region
Ogden » Powder Mountain Backcountry
Location Name or Route
Powder Mountain Backcountry
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
East
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Cold - single digits all day. Fine, except any time the winds picked up while along the ridge line, needed to cover up bare skin.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
4"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments

New snow from the 25th is starting to facet, with occasional patches of surface hoar. Only isolated wind affect along the ridge lines.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Off the ridgelines, an entire snow pack of fist hardness. Along the ridge, a few 1 to 2" thick cracky harder wind crusts, and a few area with deeper wind drifted snow.
Snow Profile
Aspect
Northeast
Elevation
9,000'
Comments

Northerly facing slope, off the ridge line - a weak sugary snow pack. Though there are 3 distinct layers from the different small storms this month. With the current forecast, I expect the faceting to continue. While compression tests failed on the top of the basal facets, there was no propagation with Extended Column Tests. No surprise due to the lack of a slab.

I found a small, deeper wind loaded spot - that included a 4 finger hardness slab - and it easily cracked out to the ground. Only worry (besides hitting rocks and logs) would be a wind drifted area on a steep slope - probably fairly isolated.

But a sign of how dangerous this weak faceted basal snow will be once it gets a load on top of it.

Frost, with a sparkly snow surface behind - near surface facets and small surface hoar.

Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low