Observation: Little Cottonwood Canyon

Observation Date
3/17/2013
Observer Name
Bruce Tremper
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Little Cottontood Canyon, various elevations
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Strong
Weather Comments
A blustery, cold day in the mountains with very strong wind from the west-northwest 40 gusting to 60 in the upper elevations and temperatures in the teens. Light snow fell in squalls and added up to about an inch.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Density
High
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Snow Characteristics Comments

Wind-drifted dust-on-crust. Only an inch of dense snow fell but it was hard to tell the depth because the wind was blowing so hard that the snow surface was either hard, frozen crust or 3 inches of dense wind-drifted snow. In terrain with old tracks or old wet avalanche debris, the old, frozen snow surface was like concrete traffic barrier curbs. You could actually find a few patches of something resembling powder in the lee of trees or ridges where it accumulated.

Red Flags
Red Flags Comments
No red flags -mostly low danger in all areas. Minor, soft, shallow, wind slabs.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Problem #1 Comments

The cold temperatures put a good, hard crust on all the wet snow from the past 3 days and even at lower elevations, it seemed to be frozen with damp snow below. There may have been some lingering wet snow concerns especially on low elevation, shallow slopes with faceted snow but by Monday morning they should be well frozen.

The strong wind combined with an inch of snow at upper elevations created some very shallow, soft wind slabs but I jumped on several east facing slopes along the ridge lines and could not get anything to crack out but I could make some tiny cornices break off, which may have hurt a mouse, as they were about 6 inches thick and did not go far.

By Monday we should be at a solid Low danger with some minor cautions for shallow wind slabs and perhaps some lingering wet mush at low elevations below a frozen crust.