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Observation: Silver Fork

Observation Date
1/30/2014
Observer Name
Pete Earle
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Silver Fork
Location Name or Route
Silver Fork
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Speed
Calm
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
7"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Light powder on top of a varying degree of dampness, very wet facets under the new snow below 9000' due to last nights' rain event. Snow above 9000' was colder and crust was frozen underneath new snow.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Other than minimal localized cracking, no obvious signs of instability, new snow seemed well bonded to old snow surface
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
We stayed out of wind affected areas and found surfy new snow with minimal instability, unfortunately not bottomless.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments
Plenty of facets underneath the new snow. Where we skied wasn't enough of a new load to activate the facet layers. Structure remains a problem, will be interesting to see how things lock up at lower elevations when the damp snow freezes over the next couple days. Rain line seemed to be somewhere around 9500'.
Comments
Dug a pit at 9000' on an ENE aspect. ECTN at the new snow old snow interface, could not get results in the old snow. Minor density change in the middle of the new snow with CT2/3 results, but should settle out quickly. Stayed off of wind loaded slopes but suspect there were some new snow instabilities in steeper terrain with smoother bed surfaces. Our trend of progressive loading continues, seems like it's going to take a significant load to reactivate deeper weak layers.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate