Utah Avalanche Center

Shallow snow was loose and faceted all over the place

Specifically looking for weakening in a shallow snowpack area. Was surprised at lack of test results. Shovel tap test in upper 30 cm was also negative.

The snowpack overall is pretty weak but not necessarily unstable. You nearly sink to the ground when stepping off the sled. Other aspects at lower elevations have a more supportable slab.

Protected area had little to no wind.

Snow feels very weak. Like skiing in Colorado (bottomless facets!) Sinking deeply even with skis, sand boxing when trying to climb. Boot pen to ground.

A couple natural d2 wind slabs from overnight off east face of Providence Peak above pit location. Riders testing some very steep slopes nearby without triggering any avalanches.

The CT result at 22 cm was surprising. An ECT would not break at 22 cm until we hit the shovel several times with a drop kick. South of Provo Canyon and/or at higher elevations, the layer of facets at the ground is thicker. Very low density snow on surface would sluff very easy.

Pit located just north of the powerlines at the head of the Left hand of Arthurs Fork. The main point of this pit was to look for facets at the ground to get a sense of what might exist at 9k in this area. At this elevation, I am not concerned about this layer. At 9k, I think the faceted layer is much thicker and a potential problem.