Hey guys sorry for the delay, this has been my tougher blog for the season. Spring has sprung in the Ogden area; water came to an abrupt stop on March 1st and with that our avalanche activity and danger ratings have lowered.
Let’s take a quick pause and not be upset about the sunny skies and warm temps. We have to give a big round of applause to the month of February. February saved our season and provided what I would say was some of the most consistently good skiing that has been seen in years. Focused more in the mountains surrounding Powder Mountain, because this is where I collect most of my observations February provided the area with 95’’ of snow and 7.06’’ snow water equivalent that’s an average of 7% density!!!! With 7 good storms and 3 or which gave us 20’’+ it was full on winter with free refills, face shots, and come 4 o'clock legs that felt like noodles. The monthly percent of average snow in February was 125.12 and average water was 100.46, not bad! Below is the a picture of the season weather for the month of February.
Although not many reports came in about that nasty persistent problem that has been plaguing us all season my area had 2 naturals failing on the buried facets on the morning of the 27th which was about half way through our last storm. Below is a crown profile showing that even though our danger ratings have gone down, there is still a chance of triggering an avalanche on this layer. Remember now that this layer is deep it is sure to be catastrophic and un-survivable if caught or buried in.
There is still good skiing to be had, besides a powder day there is nothing better than a day of harvesting corn! Timing is important you need a few sunny warm days and a few clear and freezing nights. And voila you get “corn”. When you pick to slide is important as well, too early = frozen chunder and too late = sticky mashed potatoes. Consult your local snow nerd and they will be able to pin down a good time frame for you. Remember with no new snow the danger ratings tend change through the day this time of year, more than you will see during the winter. Generally speaking, you will start out with a LOW danger and then as the temps rise and solar aspects get warmed up from the sun danger ratings are going to raise to MODERATE or even CONSIDERABLE for wet loose problems, you want to make sure you are off steep un-skied slopes at these times.
And remember just because the snow has slowed in March and the current forecast is looking bleak, spring is one of the best times to be skiing. The crowds are gone, the days are longer, and the mid-morning skiing is great! Spring resembles a time of celebration and change so get those wigs, fanny packs, neon clothing, BBQ’s, and a cooler full of your favorite beverage and enjoy a few weeks of what I would say is the best season next to winter!!
Happy harvesting!
Don't forget to come out and support Ogden Avalanche in our spring celebration!!
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