Happy Winter Solstice! More hours of daylight equals more time to play in the mountains.
Yesterday, we found signs of both improving stability and continuing instability. We had fewer collapses but still found poor snowpack structure in our pits. Stability tests still showed propagation at the old snow/new snow interface. The slab created by two storms (12/13, 12/17) is about one to two feet thick (possibly three feet in exposed, wind-loaded terrain) and sits atop weak, sugary, faceted snow that fell earlier in November. This setup is tricky because the slab may not release until you are out in the middle of it or find a thin spot. The easiest way to avoid the problem is to avoid slopes steeper than about 30°. Listen and watch for
collapsing, a sure sign of instability.
Riding conditions are decent in shaded, sheltered, north-facing terrain where the snow remains soft and somewhat supportable. Outside those areas, the snow is wind-buffed, crusty, or damp. Many south-facing slopes are still too thin for travel.
-The Tony Grove Snotel, at 8400 feet in elevation, reports 36° F, and there is 32 inches of total snow. (69% of normal)
-Winds on Logan Peak are blowing from the south at 24 mph with gusts up to 34 mph, and it's 35° F this morning.
-It's 38° F at Card Canyon, with 28 inches of total snow.
-On Paris Peak at 9500 feet, it is 34° F with southwest winds blowing 11 to 16 mph.
It'll be another warm day in the mountains, with an 8500' high of 40°F, mostly sunny skies, and light winds blowing from the southwest. Tomorrow will be a transition day ahead of a pair of incoming weaker shortwave troughs, with the latter system being the somewhat better organized of the two. The result will be periods of light snow across the higher terrain of northern Utah, with 36-hour totals of two to six inches looking most likely, perhaps more in favored areas. Christmas Eve day looks sunny, and then we return to a more mixed pattern that evening. We may be on track for a white Christmas. Fingers crossed.
