Quick report
- Aspect
- North
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2713 m
Just sharing some quick results during our Level 1 in the Provo area mountains. Once again, this area was a bit skunked with the lack of orographic enhancement from the NW flow. This side of Timp is sometimes a mini precipitation shadow when it comes to the NW flow. At 8900' the height of snow ranges from 70-80cms. Very thin out there in the mid and lower elevation bands of the Provo area mountains.
I sighted multiple natural dry loose releases at the base of cliff bands in the UFO Bowls.
CT and ECT results at 8900': (all results were at the new snow/old snow interface (near surface facets), 15cm from the surface)
Pit #1 - N aspect // HS80cm // CT1 SP // ECTN3
Pit #2 - NE aspect // HS70cm // CT1 SC // ECTN1
Pit #3 - N aspect // HS80m // CT2 SP // ECTN3
Additionally, shovel shear results mostly popped the column into the pit with quite a bit of energy.
No propagation...today. Interesting week ahead of us!
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>15cm (6 inches) of new snow. On Jan. 5th the very light and calm 3cm of snow did cover near surface facets. Throughout the day we did not find cohesion in the new snow except in a couple wind effected zones. In those areas, we had some minor cracking, a collapse reported by a guide/party in front of us, and a shooting crack from one student's hand pit to another students hand pit. With more loading (even just moderate winds), this new snow will soon be a slab on a VERY weak layer right at the new snow old snow interface. Multiple snowpits with CTs and ECTs with very sensitive results but no propagation. Results below. </p> <p>Drew Hardesty's tidbit in the Jan. 5th forecast regarding the calm storm on Thursday holds true...3cms of snow covered VERY weak near surface facets. This coupled with the obvious facets in the rest of the snowpack are setting us up for a major ungluing in the Southern Wasatch. From ground up to 30cms are the weakest facets (F-), with a deteriorating faceted 1F- crust sitting atop. </p>