Observation: Park City Ridgeline

Observation Date

4/4/2026

Observer Name

Malone, Morgan, Kemp

Region

Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline

Location Name or Route

PC Ridgeline

Weather

Sky

Clear

Wind Direction

Southwest

Wind Speed

Light

Weather Comments

Beautiful blue sky day with intermittent light winds on the ridges. Strong solar input with intense warming throughout the day.

Snow Characteristics

Snow Surface Conditions

Powder

Dense Loose

Melt-Freeze Crust

Damp

Snow Characteristics Comments

Multiple hand pits on N and NW at 9800' identified a MF crust/ old snow surface approx 16" deep (in an area of wind deposition), and the interface between Wednesday's and Thursday's storms approx 12" deep on which avalanches were failing yesterday. Hand shears varied from sudden planar to resistant planar and the interface was easy to find.

Solar aspects are rapidly losing snow and travel is becoming more challenging with sagebrush and dirt patches.

NE and NNE warmed enough to be wet. The only truly cold snow was on due N in the shade of dense trees.

Red Flags

Recent Avalanches

Rapid Warming

Poor Snowpack Structure

Avalanche Problem #1

Problem

New Snow

Trend

Decreasing Danger

Problem #1 Comments

Yesterday's storm slab avalanches acted (briefly) like PWL avalanches (remote triggers, widespread connectivity, propagation of slab well uphill from the trigger), even though they were failing on the storm interface, not a persistent grain type. I'm guessing this was from the combination of new snow with a variety of grain types (DF, graupel, stellars), wind transport, and the rapid spring warming/ solar input. Today, we found decreased sensitivity in the areas we travelled, consistent with rapidly settling storm slab.

Avalanche Problem #2

Problem

Wet Snow

Trend

Same

Comments

We saw one avalanche that likely occurred yesterday N 9800' in the (now closed) PCMR terrain. No tracks observed but we couldn't see the whole crown face. It could have been triggered remotely given how close it is to the PC ridgeline. I didn't see this one in the many reported; apologies if duplicate. See pic.

Today's Observed Danger Rating

Moderate

Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating

Moderate

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