Observation: Days Fork

Observation Date
3/11/2014
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Days Fork
Location Name or Route
Silver Fork, Days Fork
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Mostly overcast all day with a few peeks of sun shinning through momentarily, light winds and a little accumulation during the day.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
9"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Snow Characteristics Comments

New snow consisted of graupel at the interface with the old surface and light density on top of the graupel, couldn't ask for much more for skiing quality. Heating of the new snow was not a factor in terrain covered today. With the light density snow on top would expect it to go off rapidly with tomorrows sun.

Comments

Travel today was from Silver Fork into Days Fork and out BCC. Only instabilities noted today was long running sluffs in steeper terrain, but the sluffs were totally manageable, either ski cut them and let them run or dive in and out run them, both methods used today. The sluffing seemed to be limited to the top few inches of snow, they were not running very fast, but they were collecting a good amount of snow on the more sustained steep pitches. Would expect the sluffing to be much less wide spread tomorrow. Did note some significant areas of graupel pooling but it did not seem to be reactive today. Photos.

Sluffing in.

Silver Fork Headwall N facing.

Jaws NW facing.

Main Days NE facing.

Lower Days E facing.

Would expect the hazard to increase tomorrow for wet activity, with full sun and warming temperatures especially on the south facing aspects with the hard slick underlying bed surface. It's not gonna be like the last couple storms which were mainly graupel, graupel does not go off near as fast as light density powder which we had today.

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