Observation: Cardiac Ridge

Observation Date
3/19/2014
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Fork » Cardiac Ridge
Location Name or Route
Cardiff Fork
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Cold and calm in the AM, warming temps with a slight breeze in the PM.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
12"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

The new snow from yesterday had settled out to about a foot of light density non wind affected snow with a inch or so of graupel underneath. Snow became damp on most aspect except for High N and NE, did not get on any NW aspects, all other aspects will be crusted in the morning. Skin wax saved my life today.

Comments

Yeah I know Cardiff again, but I haven't had enough powder this year and Cardiff has the low hanging fruits that you can get before it goes off in the spring without a head lamp start. Went back to Cardiac Ridge to finish what I started yesterday, what a difference one day makes. Yesterday I was getting large collapses breaking trail on the east facing, and also could not isolate a column, Today the weak layer had seized up and settled out, no problem isolating a column and no clean sheer, also no collapses noted while breaking the rest of the trail to the top. SE got damp around 10am, E was damp by noon, N and NE stayed dry up to the time of my exit out BCC 2:00pm would expect it to still be dry tomorrow. Some wet activity noted today but nothing to radical, but I was not on south facing aspects. Main activity today was wet and dry sluffing but they were not running very fast and easily negotiated. Photos.

Dry sluffs on Cardiac Ridge, and north facing Montreal Hill.

Wet sluiffs on the SE facing portion of Cardiac Bowl.

Some larger scale sluffing that occurred yesterday during the storm, with a healthy debris pile.

Classic Utah spring powder day.

Moderate for wet activity tomorrow.

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