Observation Date
12/17/2016
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
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Pretty chilly day on the north slope with below zero readings this morning and things did not warm up all that much. Skies did clear with some filtered sun which allowed for some avalanche viewing. A good storm for the area with upwards of 20 inches of very nice cold powder.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
20"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
The riding conditions were quite good today with the heavy dense snow that fell earlier in the storm providing a good base. Riders were mainly having fun in the meadows and low angle terrain.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Heavy Snowfall
Wind Loading
Red Flags Comments
The Whitney area went through a nice natural avalanche cycle during the wild weather yesterday afternoon. Lots of recent wind loading, but many of these wind drifts have relaxed and were not too reactive to the weight of a person.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
In my travels, some of the recent wind slabs have relaxed and were not very reactive where I poked around. I would imagine along the higher ridgelines there are still some sensitive wind slabs that need time to settle out.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments
It was a good storm for the Uintas with some nice snow totals and water weight. There was a nice natural avalanche cycle where many slopes avalanched during the height of the storm. The weaker layers in the snow pack appear to be adjusting slowly to the added weight and more time is needed to let the snow pack settle.
Comments
Many slopes did avalanche naturally during the wild storm yesterday afternoon.
I was finding a buried grauple layer that was likely put down as the storm front passed and then about 20 inches of new snow fell. The grauple layer was producing some clean shears, but this should settle out rather quickly.
There was some great riding today with upwards of two feet of new snow and crusing around the meadows was quite fun.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable
