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Observation: Brighton Perimeter

Observation Date
4/26/2013
Observer Name
b
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Brighton Back Bowls, Wolverine Cirque
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Bluebird day, warm temperatures in the pm, and Light Category winds out of the WNW. No transport and or wind blown snow observed.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

All slopes with slope angles < 30 degrees got damp today. Above 9000 feet NNE, N and NNW slopes with slope angles > 30 degrees held cold, settled, dense, recrystalliized powder. Wind crusts and or sastrugi on the upper elevation exposed highest ridgelines and chute entrances. Melt freeze crusts stout in the morning on all aspects, and refreezing by 1630. Supportable riding on all slopes and aspects throughout the day. Even at 1700, E, N and W aspects holding up without becoming too mushy. Corn still immature on all slopes on the upper half of the compass...yet still ridable.

Of Note: Please fill in your pits when you are digging holes out there.

Red Flags
Red Flags Comments
No new red flags observed today. Wet activitiy held to a minimum. New slab avalanches observed in the Wolverine Cirque since last observed on Tuesday/the 23rd. These were both human triggered and naturals. The aspects were E and NE in steep terrain with slope angles > 35 degrees. Of Note: Easy to trigger pushalanches on NW aspects with slope angles >37 degrees at elevations around 9200 feet and below.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Cornice
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments

Watch out for cornices over the weekend with a limited refreeze Friday evening and increasing warm temps over the rest of the weekend.

Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wet Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments

Wet Loose and Slab avalanches may become active by late Sunday with the forecasted rising temps.