Observation: Cardiac Ridge

Observation Date
11/25/2016
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Fork » Cardiac Ridge
Location Name or Route
Cardiac Ridge
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Increasing winds from the SW as the day progressed, but it was a fairly warm wind.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Wind Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

The new snow from the last storm was getting affected by mid afternoon, the wind was forming a stiff wind skin on Cardiac Ridge and starting to stiffen and slab up at my exit at 2:00pm, the snow was damp at lower elevations and also on south facing aspects.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Cracking
Comments

Wanted to go take a look at Cardiac before the next storm to get a handle on slope history. I was quite impressed with the avalanches on the ridge, basically all the upper elevation NE facing sections of the ridge pulled out to the ground and ran almost to the flatter terrain. Also of interest was how once the slides hit the mid slope roll over they stepped down to the dirt on all the portions with NE in them, I'm thinking that the cause was lingering depth hoar from before the last two storms. Definitely the biggest connected slide I've seen this year, with the largest debris pile.

Photos: whole deal, where it stepped down on the roll over, wind loading occuring during the day, nice surface hoar in the drainage bottoms.

Low in most terrain today, wind might be a factor tomorrow

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