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Observation: Coalpit

Observation Date
3/8/2016
Observer Name
Dana Holmes
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Coalpit
Location Name or Route
Coalpit Headwall
Weather
Sky
Few
Weather Comments
Crystal clear in the morning with scattered high clouds rolling in starting around 2pm.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Faceted Loose
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Excellent riding conditions on NE-NW facing. South facing terrain, as well as due East and West facing terrain had a punchy melt freeze crust. However, it was cloudy enough yesterday afternoon you could wrap pretty far around the compass towards the west and still find good dry, crust-free riding conditions, as long as there was a slight northerly component to the aspect. Some faceted loud powder found on sheltered N facing terrain.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Rapid Warming
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Few inches of graupel that fell at the start of the storm underlying the new snow is a bit troubling but it doesn't seem to have anything malicious enough sitting on top of it to cause problems at the moment.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wet Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
The daytime warming today was our major concern heading out this morning, but it seemed to be causing relatively few problems. We saw a few small natural wet sluffs and rollerballing on terrain on the SW-SE side of the compass, but that was about it. Should decrease into tomorrow with the colder weather and snow, but the terrain where this was a concern today will have atrocious skiing, so perhaps a moot point.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments
Ski cuts produced some rather impressive sluffs on steep N facing terrain at the top of Coalpit running fast, far, and big. It was a manageable problem, but getting in the way of one of these would mean getting knocked off your feet at best, and caught, carried, and partially buried at worst. Staying out in front of this sort of powerful, fast-moving sluff was not even a remote possibility for us mere mortals.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate