Observation: Little Water

Observation Date
2/3/2020
Observer Name
Champion
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Mill D North » Little Water
Location Name or Route
Little Water
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Obscured skies all day with light snowfall. Winds were still moving snow around at upper elevations. Very cold temperatures throughout the tour.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
6"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
Significantly less snow that the benches. Snow depths between Mill D, Dog Lake, and Little Water varied between 4-8 inches. Averaging around 6 inches. The snow fell on a variety of firm surfaces, could see the old skin tracks and melt-freeze crusts beneath the new snow in spots.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Heavy Snowfall
Wind Loading
Red Flags Comments
The heavy snowfall was primarily isolated to the benches and areas that we had to drive through versus tour.
Comments
Headed up Mill D to Little Water to see how much snow fell mid-canyon. It seems that the storm favored the benches, and mill creek canyon over either of the cottonwoods. While traveling we weren't able to find any zones with much more than 8 inches of snow, and it seemed pretty unreactive where we were. We could get some sluffing on steeper terrain, especially that which was slightly south facing with the now supportable old solar crust. At upper elevations, on south-facing aspects, we were seeing a bit more cohesive snow surface that had been affected by the wind but were unable to get any significant cracks or whomps.
While the cottonwoods didn't get quite the heavy snowfall that the valley did, there is still plenty of soft low-density snow available for transport. At the upper elevations and ridgelines, there were signs of snow being drifted and I think if winds increased we could start to see more sensitive wind drifts at mid and upper elevations.
The winds seem to be the deciding factor in hazard for Tuesday, at least at the low and mid-elevations. If the winds do not increase, sluffing on steep slopes will be the only concern. But any bump in wind speeds will quickly take this low-density snow and creative sensitive wind drifts, especially at the mid-elevations.
Photo of snow deposited in town
Versus new snow in Mill D
New snow on trees
Wind texture on a west slope around 9200'
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate