Observation Date
1/17/2014
Observer Name
cam mackenzie
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Scotties Bowl
Location Name or Route
Scotties bowl
Weather
Sky
Clear
Weather Comments
Warm clear day up above the inversion. Solar heating on southeast-south-southwest-west facing slopes throughout the day
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Melt-Freeze Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
melt freeze crust on the surface in shaded places, warm mush in the sun. facets throughout the snowpack. good riding on shaded north facing.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Rapid Warming
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
a few wet releases around rocks throughout the afternoon. nothing observed large enough to bury a person. still the same rotten snow down low. wasn't really finding any overly cohesive slab sitting atop it today. perhaps the last storm didn't create quite enough to create a good slab. still enough to keep the steeper north facing slopes off limits for now. did find a buried surface hoar layer ~30 cm down and was getting energetic test results on it in the pits. shovel tilt tests produced extremely planar Q1 sheers. this layer was extremely spatially variable. with all the talk about buried facets, forgetting or ignoring issue could be an issue
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
didn't really find a good slab on top of the old snow but i imagine its still out there and still potent
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wet Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments
with more warm/ clear weather in the forecast, this issue may arise. i don't think its a large concern though unless you're right below it.
Snow Profile
Aspect
Northwest
Slope Angle
15°
Comments
helped teach u of u snow and avalanche class in the PM. this pit was dug down low in a shallower but interesting portion of the slope. multiple buried weak layers proving reactive to tests. took densities throughout the pack to help facilitate a discussion on why avalanches can be so destructive/the impact pressures so high. there's a lot of mass in this persistent slab! truly high consequence
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable
Coordinates
