Get Your Ticket to the 32nd Annual Backcountry Benefit on September 11th! Support Forecasting, Awareness, and Education
Ad
The National Forest Service Logo
icon-add Observation
Forecasts
Logan Ogden Salt Lake Provo Uintas Skyline Moab Abajos Weather Archives How to read the forecast
Observations & Avalanches
Submit Observation Observations Explorer All Observations Avalanches Fatalities Weather Place Names Map Archives
Education
Avalanche Class List UAC Class List Online Classes Resources and Tutorials Avalanche Awareness Develop Skills
Events
Store
About
Contact Who we are Core Values Staff Board of Directors Past Forecasters Sponsors Annual Reports Sign In
Blog
icon-add Observation
Donate / Join

Observation: Whitney Basin

Observation Date
11/26/2016
Observer Name
Ted Scroggin
Region
Uintas » Bear River Ranger District » Whitney Basin
Location Name or Route
Whitney Basin, Double Hill
Weather
Sky
Scattered
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Scattered clouds with steady winds throughout the day. Gusty on the ridge lines with southwest winds blowing snow onto north and east aspects.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
Still thin in the Whitney area with 8 to 10" on the ground with some places a little deeper. No real alarming issues with the snowpack that I observed today. Some minor weak snow near the ground and a little weaker snow as you gain some elevation. The mild fall and lack of snow during October and much of November has prevented a lot of the snow on the ground to weaken. It does not look like a real bad start to the season as far as the snow pack goes.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Cracking
Red Flags Comments
The steady southwest winds today were forming some stiffer wind slab conditions along slopes facing east and northeast. These are still patchy and not much large connected pieces of snow, but this could all change with the approaching storms?
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
The wind slabs forming today will become a little more reactive as the winds continue and the snow begins to stack up.
Comments
Some folks choose to get around on sleds and others are keeping with the wheeled vehicles. Still thin around the area, but a few riders have ventured off the road into grassy meadows. Not much of a snow pack right now and no real faceted weak sugary snow currently.
The Double Hill area has been getting worked from both north and northwest winds as well as from the southwest. Lots of wind textured snow and some deeper wind drifts have developed. The Whitney Basin still needs some good storms to get the winter season going.
Even with the thin snow cover, the winds still find plenty of snow to blow and drift snow forming these pockety wind drifts that are getting a couple of feet deep.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate