Observation: Ivory Flakes

Observation Date
11/15/2020
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Fork » Ivory Flakes
Location Name or Route
Cardiff Fork, Ivory Flakes
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Warm, grey with winds from the SW at upper elevations.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
12"
New Snow Density
High
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Dense loose powder in protected terrain, wind crust and still a bit inverted in upper elevations exposed terrain, damp at lower elevations on our exit at 2:00pm.
Comments
Hiked up to the bottom of Cardiac Ridge from the BCC side today then climbed to the top of Ivory Flakes. Dug a snow pit at 9800ft, NE facing on a wind protected slope. You would be hard pressed to have a better base for early in the season. The snow pack has settled out and any layering has settled out as well. In this location the pit revealed a homogeneous snow pack, with one finger dense damp snow at the bottom then two finger, three finger, fist. Which means the the snow pack is right side up and the light density snow underlying Saturday's storm has settled out with the warm temperatures from the bottom of the pack and also from the moist warm air today.
photo: snow pit
You might be able to find a rouge wind slab up high in radical terrain but I think most terrain is trending down in hazard.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates