Observation: Cardiff Fork 1/14/2012

Observer Name:

mark white

Region:

Salt Lake
Big Cottonwood Canyon
Cardiff Fork

Observation Date:

01/14/2012

Location or Route:

Cardiff Fork

Weather

Sky:

Clear

Wind Direction:

Southwest

Wind Speed:

Moderate

Weather Comments:

Wind from the SW was the main weather event today, Gusting fairly hard on the high ridge lines.

Snow Characteristics

Snow Surface Conditions:

Powder

Faceted Loose

Wind Crust

Melt-Freeze Crust

Snow Characteristic Comments:

Walking up to Cardiff pass from Alta snow was mostly melt freeze crust wind blasted in some areas, recrystalized wind slab, and a little damp snow on SE facing. Upper part of Cardiff consisted of mostly wind crusted snow on facets, or recystalized surface with crust and facets underneith. In more wind protected areas, for example Georges Bowl snow was very weak facets top to bottom leaning toward unsuportable.

snow_profile_location:

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 1)

Variable would be a good description of the skiing in Cardiff today. Wind, rocks, facets, crust and snowmobiles. New shallow wind slabs forming on the high ridges from the SW winds, but not a lot of snow to transport from the south end of the compass. Nothing new, snows weak just waiting for a load, mabye later this week.

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 2)

Wind blasting in Maybird

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 3)

Oh yeah I think my partner was looking for the Rodeo.