Observation Date
2/14/2021
Observer Name
CBrown
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Mill D North
Location Name or Route
Mill D North
Weather
Sky
Broken
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
North
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Cool temps. Morning X-PM SCT skies, with sun coming out. Light cold flurries falling much of the day. Feb sun is strong, made quick work of the cold snow. Very little wind noted and minimal to no wind loading observed at mid 9k' ridges
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
18"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Perfect right side up storm, denser wetter snow from yesterday laid a nice base for the cold fluff that fell late yesterday into this morning. Above 8,500' appeared as though about 18" HST. PM sun quickly warmed up snow around 14:00. I'm prety sure I felt a RR crust form in the snow upon exit at 14:00
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Cracking
Collapsing
Rapid Warming
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Observed the roadside sluffs driving up at 06:00 this morning in the dark. Noted some 2'+ small storm slab looking avalanches on lower Tom's Hill. Upon PM clearing, appeared from a distance Gooblers East/Butler Basin may have had a large avalanche event E-N from peak 10,224 along the N face of the SE ridge. Also noted deep smaller pocket on the NE 9,000'-9,200' mid butler basin ridge. Upon inspecting poor photo also looked like SE mid slope may have went deep/small pocket. Noted activity on E-SE on Raymond, mid storm pocket somewhere in the area of Chutes & Ladders/Deep pockets NE ~9,400-9,600', and visible crown on God's Lawnmower between 9,600-9,800 stretching across face. Fire Water had connected shallow (4-8") SS wind/storm slab that didn't step down (confusing and surprising), slope still looked very loaded and suspect... Found FC on the ground on S-SE 8,600-9,600'(4-10cm moist). Collapses on S (may be bush collapses) and students got stubborn propagation in quick pits 9,400 SE, HS 90-110cm.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
Continue to find more widespread structure in upper and mid elev off aspects. Common crust/FC combos traditionally seen on south but concerning with this load and additional load coming. North's have deep persistent problem, and although stubborn due to depth and HS protecting pwl, the variability of the snow pack and HS with requires discipline. Finding the shallow spot/trigger point will result in large catastrophic avalanche.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments
New snow problems should settle out fairly quickly, but will be added to tomorrow. Wet loose with any sun this time of year will bring natural activity. Any increase in winds will quickly build wind slab with the large amounts of AST.
Comments
Kicking back and watching the mountains as we get this series of loading events. All this water/coming water will prove a good test to our SPX. Interested to see if the deep large connected avalanches move from the weaker to the deeper areas, ie Millcreek->PC Ridge->mid canyon central->upper BCC/LCC areas over the next week or two
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
None
Coordinates
