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Observation: Patsy Marly

Observation Date
1/12/2018
Observer Name
Tyler Falk / AAI Level 1
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Grizzly Gulch » Patsy Marly
Location Name or Route
Patsy Trees
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Light winds at the trailhead in upper LCC, moderate when we got to the pass. Light S1 snow in the morning which tapered off by noon. Ryme noticed on the West side of branches and trees.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
2"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments

Winds got to more terrain in the last 24 hours where you would expect it in exposed locations down to 9k. Around 5cm of new moderate density snow in upper LCC. Still some wet grains down 50cm in the snowpack at 8500. Once you get above 9k those grains dry out. Height of snow at 9800 was around 120-140 cm on W-NW aspects.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Wind Loading
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Loading from last night one of the big red flags out there. We did not travel in areas where the winds were depositing snow but would expect it to be possible to find craacking and collapsing in loaded terrrain.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments

I would make this again the number one concern for tomorrow. Test results were showing that the weak snow was getting harder to trigger but propagation still possible in many areas. ECT's were getting broken failures at 26cm and 73cm down. PST results in the same area showed PST 30/100 End 73cm down on 3mm DH. This was at 10200 on a NW aspect.

Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments

Likely on a variety of exposed aspects above 10k possibly more pronounced on SE aspects from the strong NW winds last night.

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