Observation Date
1/28/2013
Observer Name
Price
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Cardiff Fork - George's Bowl
Weather
Sky
Broken
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Very light snow at times between 1400 and 1600 hours. Light winds and never gusty. Good visibility. It was the kind of light that could accompany almost any time of day save dawn and dusk.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
10"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
As good as it gets, at least in this skier's opinion.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Heavy Snowfall
Wind Loading
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
No cracking or collapsing observed/heard. Sluffing in the new snow very manageable on pitches of slope approaching 30 degrees. A handful of point releases noted on SE-facing slabs of Kessler lesser summit. Nothing dramatic.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
ECTN on ENE aspect (25 degree slope at 9800'). Failure occured in new snow only (25 cms below surface). Interface at failure plane was largely graupel, literally. Snow depth at this location was 180 cms. Along the uptrack, and below the wind deposited snow at the ridgeline, snow depth ranged between 145 and 165 cms. No pit-level photos: flat light and this skier is a bad photographer.
Very few tracks in this area. Looked like a party of two had hit George's before (or instead of) work. This lunch patroller was grateful for their uptrack.
