Observation Date
3/15/2015
Observer Name
Bruce Tremper
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Bowl
Location Name or Route
Test slopes in Cardiff Bowl and Alta perimeter
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Extremely warm with variable, mid-level, stratus clouds. The filtered sun would peek through at times.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

Yikes, these extremely warm temperatures are really cooking everything on all aspects. Even the north facing slopes have a thin layer of damp snow on the surface from the heat shining down from the mid level clouds, like a giant diffuser. The south facing slopes are still supportable but barely. You are punching through down to the rocks on the shallower slopes. Roller balls starting on east facing slopes and a few lower elevation, north facing slopes. The very warm temperatures have melted snow snow down to under a meter in depth even on the upper elevation, south facing slopes above Alta. The snow is looking pretty moth-eaten.

The south facing slopes above Alta are looking very moth-eaten. This is the way it usually looks in late April or May.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Collapsing
Rapid Warming
Red Flags Comments
The extreme heat is the main concern
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wet Snow
Problem #1 Comments

I don't like all this heat. Wet snow is very unpredictable and most avalanche forecasters have a hard time with it. I like to just avoid it. Today and yesterday, I was finding localized places where you just punch through or collapse through to the ground into rotten, saturated snow, especially in the thin areas. It seems like some of the rollerballs on east facing slopes are fresh. Even north facing slopes below about 9,500' have a layer of damp snow on top about 5-10 cm with dry snow underneath. As this moist layer takes over deeper layers in the snowpack, we may see some rollerballs and sluffs on northerly aspects as well. There is supposed to be some cooler temperatures on Monday but they may not arrive in time to prevent some wet activity. If you're getting out, do it early. Today's danger rating was probably Moderate and with yet another night of non-freezing temperatures ahead, tomorrow it may likely be on the upper end of Moderate or perhaps Considerable.

Roller balls on east facing slopes in Cardiff Bowl. Turning conditions are not particularly good, between all the soggy snow and tracks everywhere. So avoidance is not too much of a hardship.

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