Headed into Cardiff from the Alta side hoping the wind had smoothed things out and the new snow would soften the ride, the wind had smoothed things out but the new light density snow was not much of a buffer from the hard surfaces underneath. I was getting cracking in the newly formed wind drifts on the ridge line but these drifts were fairly shallow and not packing much of a punch. Cornices were growing on top of the old frozen cornices from previous wind events and they were quite sensitive but not that large in the scope of things. Sluffing seemed a little less active today than yesterday I think it might have to due with the warmer air temperatures. Most of the new snow that fell today was in the form of graupel and it was actively running down the slopes to less steep terrain, and doing a better job of filling in old tracks than was the light density snow from yesterday. I would say that the biggest concern for tomorrow will be wind slabs on steep hard icy slopes or steep slopes with a firm wind board on them. In the wind sheltered terrain even on steep slopes the new snow seemed well bonded and not a real issue unless we get a large dose of new snow and wind over night.

Photos: wind loading and cornice growth on the high ridge line, storm pushing in from the SW in the AM, graupel from today, minor sluffing in wind protected high elevation terrain.