Observation Date
1/2/2017
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline » No Name Bowl
Location Name or Route
No Name Bowl
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Moderate Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Snowing moderately, cold with moderate winds on the high ridge line.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
10"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments

10 to 12 inches of new light density snow by the time we left at 4:00pm

Red Flags
Red Flags
Heavy Snowfall
Red Flags Comments
Heavy snow fall and long running sluffs were the main red flags today, wind did not seem to be transporting much snow in the terrain covered.
Comments

Headed to No Name Bowl today in search of wind protected soft snow underlying the new light density snow from last night and today. Figured the new snow would not bond well to the old hard surface in wind exposed terrain, and also was suspect of it bonding to faceted snow on the surface in wind sheltered steep terrain. Today was one of those days where ski cuts were quite useful in terrain management, ski cut, let the sluffs run their course then ski. We did manage to release one soft slab remotely and unintentionally while skiing, I put that on the Avy page. The faceted surface snow before the storm was quite reactive today, ski cuts would produce long running sluffs that would gouge down to the old surface in steeper terrain. Things might get a bit more serious tomorrow with more wind and snow expected.

Photos: long running sluffs produced with ski cuts.

With more snow and wind I would think high elevation steep terrain is verging on considerable, Its all about the weaknesses formed during the cold clear night the last three days, might require some time to stabalize.

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