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Observation: Monte Cristo

Observation Date
4/14/2018
Observer Name
Luke
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Monte Cristo
Location Name or Route
Pole Line to Monte Cristo
Weather
Sky
Scattered
Wind Direction
Northeast
Wind Speed
Calm
Weather Comments
Incredibly lucky or we picked one of the good ones; the upper half of Superior and Monte Cristo were shrouded in cloud for the morning keeping the upper snow mostly soft if dense.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Faceted Loose
Melt-Freeze Crust
Rain-Rime Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Lots of variation between 11,000' and 7,000', helped out by the mostly cloudy summits of Superior and Monte Cristo.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Heavy Snowfall
Wind Loading
Rapid Warming
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Noticed some poor adherence to the prior rain saturated layers at elevations below 9,000' and not much above that. Any aspect other than north will be sun crusted by tomorrow but most anything with lots of clouds or not directly in the sun will probably hold soft snow.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wet Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
Lots of large roller balls directly underneath rocks and in the sun, anything with incidental sun angles should hold out. Tomorrow should be worse with the heating though.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Normal Caution
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments
Didn't seem to have much to any reactivity from North aspects with an obvious wind crust that was less deep than I expect with the recorded wind the last couple days.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate