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Observation: 10420

Observation Date
12/3/2013
Observer Name
Evelyn
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » 10420
Location Name or Route
West Ridge of 10,420
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Winds were mostly calm going up the ridgeline, with the only annoying (-ly cold) winds on the summit.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
12"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments

Whipped cream powder, 10-15 inches new. The snow was only wind affected up high - there seemed to be a buried wind blown layer from early in the storm and then the current snow surface was also getting slightlywind drifted. Wind drifted areas up to 2' deep, but still soft slabs.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Heavy Snowfall
Wind Loading
Cracking
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Surprised to have no collapsing on any of the facets, though the parties in front of us may have gotten the collapses. Snow was quite cracky in wind affected areas, up to 2 feet deep. Out of the wind affected terrain, only the top 2 inches of newest snow was cracking. Wind drifting seemed limited to high ridgelines.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
New Snow
Problem #1 Comments

Surprisingly uneventful - expected the facets that were on the surface before the storm to be more reactive. In spite of the lack of collapsing and avalanches, we stayed on lower angle slopes - snow structure with several buried facet layers made the steep, northerly facing slopes suspect. Moderate with pockets of Considerable was right for where I was.

Comments

Nice to finally see some new snow. While it seemed to be a bit of a wallow going uphill breaking trail, turns were good on low angle slopes.

Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable