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Observation: Patsy Marly

Observation Date
2/7/2023
Observer Name
S Simonds
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Grizzly Gulch » Patsy Marly
Location Name or Route
LLC Microwave
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Poor Snowpack Structure
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
The upper third of microwave was wind drifted; but, decent skiing.
Snow Profile
Aspect
West
Elevation
10,400'
Comments
HT 180
Pit depth 120
30° Slope
Crust with facets above 15cm down. ECTN1 15 CM down facets above crust, but very poor fracture quality. Top layer of wind impacted snow would not even stay on shovel for shovel shear test before fracturing on same layer.
I was impressed by how shallow the snow pack was along the ridge and by how poor the structure felt. Soft, to crust to firm to hollow to very firm moving down to the ground. Given all this we experienced no sloughing on ski down microwave.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low
Coordinates