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
4/12/2017
Observer Name
Ted Scroggin
Region
Uintas » Bear River Ranger District » Whitney Basin
Location Name or Route
Whitney Basin
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
South
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Clear skies, very light south winds on the ridgelines and a shallow refreeze with snow softening quickly.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

Nice spring snow conditions with soft damp snow early on the south facing slopes and good settled dry snow on sheltered north slopes. The snow from this past weekend is holding up quite nice, with just a few wet snow balls on south and east facing slopes today around the 10,000' elevation.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Rapid Warming
Red Flags Comments
No red flags noticed today, but the recent snow and quick warm~up should see some wet snow issues.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wet Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments

Very minor wet snow issues up around 10,000' with some wet roller balls and snow becoming damp on all but the high sheltered north facing slopes.

Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments

Just off the ridge lines on north through east facing slopes, the snow would crack out around skis and sleds, but nothing would move. I would think in the high alpine zone on steep slopes a person could find an isolated wind slab that could still be sensitive, but generally things seemed pretty stable.

Comments

A little dry road to deal with at the gate, but plenty of snow on the sides to get up the highway. Still good coverage on the bottom of the Whitney Road, with just a few dirt spots showing.

Around the 10,000' elevation, very minor wet issues and just a couple of loose dry snow sluffs.

The Uintas are still holding onto a nice deep stable snow pack right now and the riding and turning should continue for some time.

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