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Observation: Silver Spoon

Observation Date
12/26/2017
Observer Name
John Mletschnig
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Silver Fork » Silver Spoon
Location Name or Route
Silver Spoons
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Red Flags
Red Flags
Cracking
Collapsing
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Repeted collapsing while skinning and skiing in protected (N to E) lower angle terrain. Some shooting cracks observed on ridge level. Areas below ridge level on SE below 9k had little faceted underlaying snow, just ground.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments

Anywhere where there is old faceted snow underlaying the new snow from over the past week there is a persistent problem.

Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments

From a distance we observed a small amount of snow swirling off ridges above 10k.

Snow Profile
Aspect
Northeast
Elevation
9,400'
Slope Angle
28°
Comments

A defined weakness was found on the old snow interface with the snow from last Wednesday; hardness step from 4F slab above back to F in 2mm facets below. ECTP3 (Sudden Collapse). Another planar shear was also observed within last weeks snow 8cm above the old facets and failed at the same time as the prominent layer below- Not certain what this failure layer was- possibly small buried surface hoar.

Video
Today's Observed Danger Rating
High
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
High
Coordinates