Observer Name
Harmsen
Observation Date
Friday, January 6, 2023
Avalanche Date
Friday, January 6, 2023
Region
Salt Lake » Parleys Canyon » Summit Park
Location Name or Route
Summit Park
Elevation
8,400'
Aspect
North
Trigger
Skier
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
New Snow
Weak Layer
Density Change
Depth
8"
Width
40'
Comments
Triggered a very small avalanche in windslab near the top of summit park - not large enough to do any damage, but I thought notable for how it propagated above the ski trigger and around the knoll (backside of image you cannot see). Also had numerous shooting cracks in soft windslabs even lower down on summit park.
These smaller slides and cracking in this lower consequence terrain makes me think that large windslab avalanches are very likely in higher/larger terrain today.
Largest hazard of the day was trees - they're coated in wet heavy snow and we witnessed a fairly large tree (~ 2ft diameter) snap in half and crash with a massive powder cloud shortly after we skiied by. numerous signs of other trees brought down by the recent storms too. Photo is of the tree we saw fall and hit a house!
Coordinates