Observation: Mineral Fork

Observation Date
2/10/2013
Observer Name
Kobernik
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Alta-Cardiff Fork-Mineral Fork
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
North
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Sun tried to peak through during the day with periods of light snow flurries. A little heavier snowfall was occurring late in the day as I was leaving Mineral Fork
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
10"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments

Very low density new snow. Depths ranged from 6 to 12" with Mineral holding as much if not more than what I noticed while walking out of the town of Alta.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Red Flags Comments
Lots of loose snow avalanches noted on the steepest slopes that happened during the storm. These didn't run all that far with most of them stopping just as they made it to the transition zone where the slope angle starts to lesson up.
Comments

The new snow would still sluff a bit on the steepest slopes when disturbed with skis. It generally wasn't entraining enough to become dangerous but I did need to cut out of one sluff that I started while descending a steep slope. With the lack of wind, the new snow was not prone to cracking. I felt that I could travel around relatively easy today without too much concern of avalanche danger. I did avoid being under steep slopes where someone could've been above me perhaps starting a loose snow avalanche that could come down on top of me.