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Observation: Salt Lake

Observation Date
3/25/2023
Observer Name
CB
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Days Fork
Weather
Sky
Broken
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Mostly OVC skies with a few quick sun breaks and broken skies in later afternoon, cold temps, light snowfall and light winds in sheltered areas.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Cracking
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Cracking while skiing 30-35* terrain, lots of new snow, and storm slab in very protected areas where the wind was unlikely to have affected the snow. Watched active loading on Easterly slopes at 9,500'. Noted a couple of density changes within the recent storm snow. Hand shears produced very soft barely cohesive slab ~6" down in very protected/non-wind affected snow on density change. Dug a quick pit at the top of Lucky Days, 9,500' ESE down to the MF crust that formed on Tuesday 3/21, ECTP13 down 105cm on this MF, ECTN on all of the density changes in the storm snow. I suspect a similar setup on slopes that have a MF crust from 3/21.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Comments
Of note in regards to the Ant Knolls avalanche; I was in snake creek Sunday, 3/19 when there were high winds with the incoming storm that arrived for 3/20. There was very weak FCsf on the surface, along with ~3mm SH all the way up to the ridgelines @ 9,800'-10,000', I noted on ESE-N slopes, but may have been more widespread. I suspect this remained intact and was buried on 3/20 as 3/19 was windy and the wind was not knocking the SH down in this location.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
None
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
None
Coordinates