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Observation: Park City Ridgeline

Observation Date
1/7/2018
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline
Location Name or Route
PC Ridgeline
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Blue bird skies with a light breeze from the W on the ridge, and fairly warm mid-day.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
4"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Faceted Loose
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

New snow added up to a staggering 1 inch at the upper Solitude parking lot and 4 in No Name Bowl and on the upper ridge line. The new snow was low density, and covering facets on the N end of the compass, wind crust in wind exposed terrain and damp on the S facing.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Same red flag, not enough weight to hieghten avalanche conditions in the terrain covered.
Comments

Back to the PC Ridgeline in search of a little powder capping off loose facets. Didn't seem like a whole lot had changed today except for some lipstick on a pig in the terrain covered. I was kind of surprised not to get more sluffing in steeper terrain like I was earlier in the week but I think the new snow capping off the bottomless facets held stuff together a little better today. Ventured out on a steep wind loaded pillow in No Name that I was avoiding earlier in the week, got it to crack and collapse but it would not move, I'm thinking the slab is just too rotted out and relaxed to get a cohesive piece to move. The crack was in wind affected snow and it shot out about 15 to 20 feet in front of me. Still waiting for enough of a load to get things moving, it shouldn't take much but these meager storms aren't getting us there yet and the faceting continues. Surface hoar is already starting to grow even on the exposed ridge line to No Name Bowl.

Photos: Shooting crack in the starting zone of No Name Bowl, surface hoar growing on the ridge line.

Thinking low hazard in the terrain covered, seeing that most of the big slopes got skied once again today with no activity, might be a different situation in upper LCC, BCC if they did actually receive more snow.

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