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Observation: Cardiff Peak

Observation Date
4/9/2017
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Peak
Location Name or Route
Cardiff, Toledo
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Moderate Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Bad visibility and snowing until 1:00pm sun breaks and not much snowfall after that.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
18"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

The new snow settled out to about 18 inches of light density blower, with maybe another 3 to 4 during the day. S SE was getting damp around 2:00pm

Comments

Main concern of the day in the territory covered was a density inversion about 6 to 7 inches down, soft slabs could be easily triggered on steeper slopes but they would not step down to the old snow surface, and did not pack much of a punch. On the other hand later in the day with heating you could get damp snow slides to dig down to the old snow surface on S facing aspects. I would think the density inversion will be settled out by tomorrow but the wet activity will be on the rise with full sun.

Photos: soft slabs failing on the density inversion, Wet slide going down to the old snow surface.

Lots of new snow in LCC, I would think with the heating of the day conditions might reach considerable.

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