Observation Date
1/6/2023
Observer Name
Grainger, Young, Kelly,
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Willows
Location Name or Route
Willow Fork
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Moderate Snowfall
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Steady precipitation rate through late afternoon, medium density snow mixed with small graupel. Ridgetop winds steady through day.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
14"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
Cakey surface skiing with graupel sandboxy skiing underneath. Upside down.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Heavy Snowfall
Wind Loading
Cracking
Red Flags Comments
Moderate PI with ridgetop winds will have created storm slabs along and on the lee sides of ridgelines. In wind-affected areas we saw superficial cracking in the storm snow and as this layer slabs up may pose a higher hazard in exposed terrain.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
Wind loading into start zones on the Park City Ridgeline
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments
The November drought layer (NDL) was present in this area. The NDL had compressed down to 48cm from 70cm off the ground over the last month in this location. It is much stronger and trending towards healing with bonding rounded facets in the snowpit. We're getting closer to a place where we will be able to venture into steeper terrain. I would continue to access and see how the NDL is reacting and how deeply it is buried prior to stepping out into bigger steeper terrain.
Snow Profile
Aspect
North
Elevation
9,400'
Slope Angle
34°
Comments
Rounding facets at 48cm from the ground. Some bonds noted at this layer. ECTX although failure with clean propagation after the test with strong prying. We tried another ECT where we cut off the top 30cm of snow to see if getting closer to the weak layer would affect the layer and still got an ECTX. The weak layer is still present and appears to be healing in this location.
Video
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable
Coordinates
