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Observation Date
3/24/2015
Observer Name
Toddeo
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Silver Fork » East Bowl
Location Name or Route
Grizzly, East Bowl Silver Fork
Weather
Sky
Broken
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Strong
Weather Comments
Started put calm and clear, by noon strong winds were transporting and cross loading snow at location off of the ridge lines. Wind helped preserve the snow surface. A lot of transport.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
2"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

2" new overnight, however my tracks from yesterday evening on Patsy Marley were blown in. Photo of wind drifting below. Surface hoar (photo below) on most aspects this morning at sunrise, most was broken down by warm/wind by time I left at 12.30. Light snow started at noon or so.

About 5-6" sitting on a mostly supportable surface. Some areas of slightly damp snow in the mid pack on due north aspects in East Bowl of Silver Fork, easy to push a ski pole 48" down in these areas.

New snow is well bonded, did not observe any sluffing on steep slopes.

Snow is wind "thickened" in places.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Cracking
Rapid Warming
Red Flags Comments
Lots of wind after about mid-morning or so, lots of plumes on the higher peaks, cross loading off of the ridge tops. Mostly soft cracking within the new snow, mostly on density inversions. Soft cracking in drifts along the ridge tops. Skin track was blowing in on every run. Of Note: 1 shooting crack in East Bowl, cross loaded in a gully well off the ridge top, crack shot about 35' in front of me on a 35 degree slope, did not run. Warming was not as pronounced as expected due to the wind, SE aspects were only slightly damp on my exits. Sheltered south aspects may have a crust tomorrow.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments

Moderate Danger

Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wet Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments

If the sun comes out tomorrow

Comments

Photos

1. Wind drifts on Patsy Marley, tracks are from today, yesterday's tracks are blown in.

2. Surface Hoar and graupe.

Really thin cover for this time of the year!

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