Observation: Brighton Perimeter

Observation Date
2/21/2015
Observer Name
Kikkert
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Brighton Perimeter
Location Name or Route
Brighton Perimeter
Weather
Sky
Broken
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Only up in the afternoon, with clouds off and on. Light snowfall here and there not really adding up. Warm, especially off ridgelines were there was a light breeze, with a bit of greenhousing. Winds not strong enough for drifting.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
10"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments

Look at that, I checked the powder box. New snow was light density, with some denser snow at the new snow/old snow interface. There was enough sun coming through the intermittent clouds for the southerlies to get a bit damp by early afternoon. Not damp enough to create a hazard, but damp enough that they will have a crust in the morning. A bit of greenhousing seemed to be making the snow a bit slabbier in a few spots (see below), but not enough for shady aspects to be crusted tomorrow.

Red Flags
Red Flags Comments
Not really any, warming noted above never quite got out of hand.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wet Snow
Problem #1 Comments

New snow was sluffing pretty easily on steep easterly terrain. Although the snow was mostly just fluffy snow with no slab, a couple of sluffs that I triggered with ski cuts on steep east facing terrain around 10K had some borderline slab properties, super-super-soft slabs. Possibly the aforementioned greenhousing was enough to make things a bit slabbier than it was earlier in the morning. One sluff that ran over cliffs managed to pull out one of these super soft slabs below the cliff, new snow only, only 10-15' wide, not running far. Picture is included below, given the placement right below the cliffs, I'd wager some graupel pooling was involved, but didn't have time to take a look.

Although things are stable and weather appears to be fairly benign tomorrow, late February sun may be enough for bit of wet loose activity. If forecast in the morning is for clear, possible moderate for wet activity, otherwise low.

Very small soft slab below Pioneer Cliffs, triggered by a sluff running over the cliffs.

Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate