Observation: Ivory Flakes

Observation Date
1/14/2014
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Fork » Ivory Flakes
Location Name or Route
Ivory Flakes
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Calm
Weather Comments
Warm and sunny, no wind finally.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Rain-Rime Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

Snow on the south end of the compass got damp and will be crusted in the morning. All the west facing slopes in Cardiff Fork are completely wind jacked.

Comments

Went back to Cardiff Fork to see if there was any activity since my last visit on Saturday. No new activity even after another 14 inches of snow now resting on the stout rime crust that was on the surface Saturday and tons of wind. Not much of a believer in bridging from a stout rime crust but I think that is what has happened in Cardiff, that being said I would not trust a 3mm clear sheet of fragile ice with 14 inches of medium density snow on top, and lighter density snow underneath as a solid bridge. Seems likely that the rime crust has connected the slab on top and hitting a weak spot in the crust and collapsing the slope would create full propagation and most likely step down into old snow. Did see some steeper lines getting skied in Cardiff but not ready to gamble on bridging yet. Photos

Rime crust under the new snow, pretty consistent all the way up Ivory Flakes

Surface hoar already growing in the drainage bottoms

West facing Cardiff Fork completely wind hammered.

Persistent slab, sticking with considerable NW through NE facing.

Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable