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Observation: Mill D North

Observation Date
12/19/2013
Observer Name
Fred
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Mill D North
Location Name or Route
Mill D North Fork aka Wally World
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Light snow fall. As elevation increased snow fall rate decreased. 4-5" total at 9400'. 5+ inches at the home at 5200'
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments

New snow was great to have. However not enough to keep one from "sand boxing" on the right aspects. Not much weight to the new snow either.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Cracking
Collapsing
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
On shelterd aspects (n.west through n.east) cracking and collapsing were easy to find. Hand pit revealed the same junk show that everyone has been reporting for days. The new snow just does not weigh enough to have a healthy avalanche cycle.
Snow Profile
Slope Angle
25°
Comments

Walked up Mill D just to see how bad things really are.

Pic of Weather Station run reveals zero avalanche danger b/c there is really no snow on the ground here.(pic1)

Walked across the top of this roll thinking it may release.(pic 2) Got several large cracks to run (pic 3) but there is enough

support to the slope to keep it in place. Also total snow depth of approximately 2' helps this out a bit. All in all it is a bony year.

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