Observation: Alta Periphery 1/9/2012

Observer Name:

Robbins

Region:

Salt Lake
Little Cottonwood Canyon
Alta Periphery

Observation Date:

01/09/2012

Location or Route:

Catherine's/Rocky Point

Weather

Sky:

Few

Wind Direction:

Northwest

Wind Speed:

Light

Weather Comments:

Warm temperatures (3 C at 10:00), clear skies, and steady light winds. Snow was getting damp and melting off S aspects by noon.

Snow Characteristics

Snow Surface Conditions:

Dense Loose

Faceted Loose

Wind Crust

Snow Characteristic Comments:

Chalky, wind-buffed snow near Sunset Peak/Rocky Point area.

Red Flags

Red Flag Comments:

No collapsing or cracking noted today. New small pockets of wind deposited snow would break easily at your feet. I did have an eerie feeling climbing over a convexity up towards Catherine's Pass, where the snow felt a little more slabby, and knowing the pile of sugar that was supporting it.

Primary Concern

Primary Concern:

Persistent Slabs

Probability:

Moderate

Aspect:

North

Northeast

Northwest

Elevation:

High

Mid

Trend:

Same

Primary Concern Comments:

The snowpack structure alone warrants a continued Moderate hazard, where humans can still trigger deeper slabs breaking into the old snow. Consequences of these slides would be serious.

snow_profile_location:

Observed Danger Rating:

Moderate

Forecast Danger Rating:

Moderate