Observation: Cardiac Ridge

Observation Date
2/4/2014
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Fork » Cardiac Ridge
Location Name or Route
Cardiac Ridge
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Visibility in and out all day, mostly out. Some periods of heavy snow fall especially in the late afternoon, increase in the wind speeds and colder in the afternoon.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
6"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments

About 5 inches hiking up from the Alta guard station in the morning, probably around 7 or 8 inches on Cardiac Ridge by the end of the day, decreasing amounts of snow with elevation drop into BCC, light density, non wind affected.

Comments

Only instabilities noted was the new snow was not bonding well to the old surface, long running sluffs in steeper terrain. Cardiac Ridge had a couple long running sluffs right down the gut, which probably saved the skiing for us because the sluffs covered all the old tracks in their path and left deep soft snow in their track, out of the sluffs old tracks were firm and could be felt while skiing. No cracking or collapsing noted. Photos.

Sluffing of the new snow in the Key Hole entrance to Cardiff Fork

Sluffing off the top of the Ridge

Old ands new sluffs on Cardiac Ridge

Dumping on Kesstler at our exit at 4:00

Hazard will depend on wind speeds and new snow amounts, doesn't seem like its going to snow all that much more and what is falling is not adding much weight to the snow pack, on the other hand if the wind picks up there is plenty of snow to deposit on our poor snow pack structure that is just waiting for a decent load to activate.

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