Observation Date
12/15/2016
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline
Location Name or Route
PC Ridgeline
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Strong
Weather Comments
Warm down low and out of the wind, pretty much a ground blizzard on the high ridge line, strong to extreme S-SW winds, blowing hard enough to Kock me down on South Monitor.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
5"
New Snow Density
High
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

The surface of the snow was damp up to about 9000ft this morning, Wind slab and wind crust above that. Raining at Solitude when I left around 3:00pm

Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Wind Loading
Cracking
Red Flags Comments
Intense wind loading on the E through N end of the compass, and cracking in wind drifted terrain.
Comments

Went form Scott's Peak to No Name then on to S and W Monitor. Scott's was riddled with cornice falls but I did not note any avalanches, No Name did not have any activity either but it looked ripe for a slide. Both S and W Monitor had cornice triggered wind slabs that ran to the flats at the bottom, with crowns in the 1 to 2 foot range, south facing was getting wind scoured to the dirt.

Photos: rapid wind loading on the ridge line, Scott"s with most of it's cornices already gone, damp snow under 9000ft, unmanageable cornices growing fast.

With continued winds and snow would think tomorrow would be verging on High.

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