Observation: Big Cottonwood Canyon

Observation Date
1/28/2016
Observer Name
T Diegel
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon
Location Name or Route
Meadow chutes and Kessler areas
Weather
Sky
Clear
Weather Comments
cold yesterday morning, warmer this morning.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Faceted Loose
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

in the sheltered areas there's already been plenty of good surface hoar development (even on the bark of the aspens, which seemed pretty cool), which will make for yet another layer of interest in our Dagwood snow sandwich unless the prefontal winds blow it all away and/or the early wet snow "destroys" the hoar. Today the snow was getting dampish even on the north facing slopes at 9k with decent pinwheeling

Red Flags
Red Flags
Rapid Warming
Red Flags Comments
will the "heat" of the snow today get insulated by the new snow coming in?
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem #1 Comments

I'm sure that my thoughts are no different than everyone else's: as if we didn't have an odd, complex-enough snowpack already, the surface hoar and wet snow of now being combined with a big, wet, windy storm will likely make it that much more interesting/complex.

Friday morning may be the stablest period for a while?

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