Obs-Snow Profile: Days Fork 3/17/2011

Observer Name:

Greg Gagne

Region:

Salt Lake
Big Cottonwood Canyon
Days Fork

Observation Date:

03/17/2011

Location or Route:

Days Fork

Weather

Sky:

Overcast

Weather Comments:

Temps were -7C at 10,200' ridgeline, -5C at 9400'. Cloud cover kept snow dry on all aspects above about 9000'.

Snow Characteristics

New Snow Depth:

New Snow Density:

High

Snow Surface Conditions:

Powder

Snow Characteristic Comments:

About 25 cm new that came in right-side up. There was a still-damp, 5 cm dust-layer that the new snow bonded very well with, although some graupel was noted at this interface. The dense snow made for ideal turning & traveling, and the top 10 cm was very light-density that sluffed easily on steep slopes (looking at other observations, Mark White has some great photos of this from today.)

Primary Concern

Primary Concern:

None

Elevation:

10100'

Aspect:

Northeast

Slope Angle:

snow_profile_location:

United States

40° 36' 21.6108" N, 90° 0' 0" E

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 1)

Stable snow conditions. 25 cm new with good bonding at new snow/old snow interface & only able to manage mostly Q3 shears at this interface, (though some Q2 as well.) Some sluffing in the top 10 cm on steeper aspects, but very manageable. No sensitive wind loading was noticed and lots of steep lines were skied throughout. Noticeable 5 cm still-damp, dust layer, but there was no apparent rain crust so I don't believe there was any rain above at least 9000'. S-facing aspects down to Alta still skied nicely to about 9000' at 2 pm. I would call it a Low danger with pockets of Moderate due to sluffing in the top 10 cm. Concerns for Friday will be wet avalanches on solar aspects, and perhaps lower elevation N aspects if we get any dreaded greenhousing.

Observed Danger Rating:

Moderate

Forecast Danger Rating:

Moderate

Snow Profile Location

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