Observation: Days Fork

Observation Date
3/24/2013
Observer Name
Bruce Tremper
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Days Fork
Weather
Sky
Broken
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Very cold (single digits to lower teens) with continued very light snow showers but the sun was shining through the wispy, low level clouds much of the time as well.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments

About a foot of powder that is getting increasingly dense with the weak sun shining through the low level moisture. Quite good riding conditions but they will probably not last long.

Red Flags
Red Flags Comments
None
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Problem #1 Comments

Although I did not see or experience any in wind slabs along the ridge in Day's Draw and Crystal Palace there may be some lingering wind slabs along the ridges. But what little wind deposits that occurred seem to have settled out at least in this area. I watched several parties of skiers kick cornices in Banana Belt and tracked up most steep slopes without triggering any slabs. (see photo). Mostly low danger for wind slabs with lingering pockets in the most wind exposed terrain.

Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wet Snow
Problem #2 Comments

Temperatures remained very cold today with just enough thin cloud cover and light snow to keep any wet activity to a minimum. As temperatures warm up over the next several days, we may see more wet activity so we will have to keep a close eye on cloud cover and temperatures.

Comments

Several parties of skiers in Banana Belt kicked cornices and skied steep slopes without triggering any slabs. We did not see any in Days Draw and Crystal Palace either. But I'm suspicious about a few lingering slabs along the exposed ridges. There were widespread tracks in Days Headwall as well with no one triggering anything as far as we could tell from our vantage point.