Observation Date
1/7/2017
Observer Name
Ted Scroggin
Region
Uintas » Bear River Ranger District » Gold Hill
Location Name or Route
Gold Hill Basin
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
The very cold temperatures have eased off a bit today, still quite cold in Evanston this morning, but only in the teens at the trailhead. Mostly cloudy to obscured sky today, moderate southwest winds getting stronger throughout the afternoon. Very light snow starting around mid afternoon.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
The big storm snow seems to have mostly settled and excellent riding and turning continues on the north slope. Sheltered mid elevation has great powder and dense loose snow, while on the exposed ridge lines winds were light around mid morning, but were in the moderate category in the afternoon.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Cracking
Red Flags Comments
Not many signs of unstable snow today other than the gusty southwest winds creating soft wind slabs early in the day, but by late afternoon some of these wind slabs were getting deeper and more dense on north and northeast facing slopes.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
I was finding mostly soft and manageable wind slabs along the Gold Hill ridge line, but by mid afternoon the southwest winds were getting stronger and the slabs more dense and deeper. The hazard was mostly confined to the higer ridge lines and felt the hazard was in the modeate category, but as the winds continued the hazard was approaching more of a considerable danger.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments
A few weaker layers can still be found under the recent storm and deeper down with past snow events, but no alarming test results. With upcoming strong winds and heavy dense snow, more weight and stress might bring to life a few layers?
Comments
The Gold Hill area looks really good with much of the terrain white and filled in. The cornices continue to grow from steady south and southwest winds.
Still able to locate some of the buried weaker layers with a quick shovel compression test. The weak layers take some moderate to strong taps from both the elbow and shoulder to get them to fail. Some heavy wet dense snow should be a good test as to how strong these layers are.
Mostly confined to the ridge lines, these soft wind slabs were manageable breaking at and just ahead of skis and sleds early in the day, but as the winds continued and got a bit stronger the slabs were breaking a bit deeper and wider.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable
