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Observation: Willows

Observation Date
1/10/2017
Observer Name
Dunn
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Willows
Location Name or Route
Wills Hill
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Strong
Weather Comments
Moderate winds were present all the way to the bottom of BCC and winds increased with elevation. Strong on the Park City ridgeline all day. Scattered flurries in the morning evolved into moderate to heavy snow after 2pm with heavy riming of the snow that was falling. The snowfall rate was approximately an inch an hour from 2-3pm. From 2pm conditions on the ridgeline were blizzard like with limited visibility in blowing snow with skies obscured in moderate to heavy snow.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
4"
New Snow Density
High
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments

Down in the trees the snow was creamy powder on a supportable base with the 4-5" snowfall from Monday afternoon supplying the new snow and everything that happened before that providing a very solid base. I was surprised that there was not more evidence of a rain crust below 9k, but whatever rain that fell Sunday was incorporated into the very dense and consolidated pack. Above the trees in the wind exposed terrain, the snow was very dense wind buff...very easy skiing as you didn't sink into the soft but firm surface hardly at all. I kept looking around for where the snowcat was hidden, the snow was so uniform. It all meant you could have very good skiing on low angle terrain.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Heavy Snowfall
Wind Loading
Red Flags Comments
Obviously there has been a lot of new weight added to the snowpack in the last 10 days, and especially the last 5, and we were in conservative terrain, but we saw no cracking, no collapsing, no sluffs, nothing...it was really glued on. Although we walked along the ridge past big cornices on West and South Monitor bowls, visibility was nil, so if there was natural activity, we couldn't see it.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable