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Observation: Patsy Marly

Observation Date
3/3/2017
Observer Name
Evelyn
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Grizzly Gulch » Patsy Marly
Location Name or Route
Alta to Patsy Marly
Weather
Sky
Scattered
Wind Speed
Calm
Weather Comments
Lots of high thin clouds, keeping temperatures cooler than expected in the morning.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Melt-Freeze Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments

Good settled powder on shady NW, N and NE. Death crust on most of the sunny aspects. West hadn't softened when I exited at 12:30 pm, and was still breakable.

Comments

Half day am tour to mostly look at the snow surface with a storm coming in on Sunday night. On shady slopes, some near surface facets and surface hoar, but small and a shallow layer. Would expect most to get destroyed with winds and warmth ahead of the storm. Top photo - small surface hoar on the ridge line at 10,400'.

West facing slopes had variable crusts, also coated with surface hoar. Again, I expect the surface hoar to be gone with each day's heating. There is low density snow beneath the crusts, a possible weak layer if we got enough snow to collape the crusts where they are thinner. The problem is sun crusts are annoyingly variable depending on aspect, slope angle and elevation. So I would expect this to be an isolated problem, if any, especially as there are two more warm days to come. Lower photo sun crust with surface hoar on top.

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