Ad
The National Forest Service Logo
icon-add Observation
Forecasts
Logan Ogden Salt Lake Provo Uintas Skyline Moab Abajos Weather Archives How to read the forecast
Observations & Avalanches
Submit Observation Observations Explorer All Observations Avalanches Fatalities Weather Place Names Map Archives
Education
Avalanche Class List UAC Class List Online Classes Resources and Tutorials Avalanche Awareness Develop Skills
Events
Store
About
Contact Who we are Core Values Staff Board of Directors Past Forecasters Sponsors Annual Reports Sign In
Blog
icon-add Observation
Donate / Join

Observation Date
2/20/2014
Observer Name
Hardesty and Feduschak
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Alta Periphery
Location Name or Route
Alta Periphery
Weather
Sky
Broken
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Light snow in the morning with occasional westerly gusts. Cold.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Characteristics Comments

A settled 5" or so on all aspects at mid and upper elevations along the headwaters of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. Very little significant sun or wind damage noted in Dry Fork to Tuscarora and over toward Wolverine. Wind pillows noted, but none reactive or enough to trip you up on the downhill slide.

Sun came out intermittently in the late afternoon - likely only westerlies will have a touch of sun crust.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
No cracking, collapsing, or avalanches noted from today; however the poor structure will likely keep on through much of the rest of the winter...perhaps dormant at times...but but likely to reactive with significant loading (increased stress)...or melt-water percolation (decreased strength). Noted Baldy's winds at 11,000' have resumed again at dinner time here and would plan on a few wind drifts along the more exposed terrain for Friday. Seems we're heading back to the Low Probability-High Consequence regime again...
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate