Observation Date
2/3/2015
Observer Name
Dave Kikkert
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Sunset Peak
Location Name or Route
Sunset Peak
Weather
Sky
Scattered
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Out for just a few hours in the morning, during which it was partly cloudy, and pretty warm. Winds were about 10-15 mph from the NW, with gusts in the mid 20s. Not much snow moving around where I was, just a little transport near the ridgelines. Winds did pick up later in the day at Brighton though and I suspect drifting increased after I left (although the density of the new snow is limiting the drifting a little).
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
2"
New Snow Density
High
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Snow Characteristics Comments

New snow since late last week (Friday) has added up to anywhere from 4-8 inches, depending on wind. Snow is quite dense, with minimal ski penetration in a lot of places. That said, it skis pretty well.

Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Problem #1 Comments

I jumped on a few obvious drifts but couldn't really get them to do anything more than crack out around my skis. I was curious how some of the buried near surface facets that I have found recently in the Brighton perimeter were looking relative to any load. I really wanted to find an area with really weak snow and some obvious wind loading, so I dug just under Sunset Peak on a due north facing aspect at 10,500'. This area often has a weak snowpack due to wind scouring and its due north aspect. I found an approximately 8" slab of 1 finger snow sitting above a couple inches of moderately weak NSF. I could get full propagation and clean shears in stability tests. However, this was near a small subridge that was getting some loading. In nearby areas, the slab was only about 4-5 inches thick. When I tried to ski cut the same drift I dug in, I could not get it to move. With a bit more load, and a more continuous slab, I could easily see a few decent size wind slabs popping out tomorrow. However, they should be limited to the usual places.

Snow Profile
Aspect
North
Elevation
10,500'
Slope Angle
33°
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate