Observation: Little Water

Observation Date
1/14/2018
Observer Name
Evelyn
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Mill D North » Little Water
Location Name or Route
Spruces to Little Water
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Speed
Calm
Weather Comments
Cool first thing in the morning, but warming significantly through out the day.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

A mix of surface conditions, with damp snow increasing by the hour with sun and heating. Most sunny slopes will be crusted tomorrow. Surface hoar on many, but not all slopes. In the usual places in the drainage bottoms, but also up onto the ridge lines and on top of the peak.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Collapsing
Rapid Warming
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Only a few small collapses, actually on the ski track. Poor structure on most aspects and elevations. Rain crust down low was quite variable in thickness, facets beneath, even at the lower elevations.
Snow Profile
Aspect
South
Elevation
7,500'
Slope Angle
29°
Comments

Thought I'd look at south facing, just to keep myself entertained. With our shallow snow pack, I feel like there's no free lunch. We'll have to keep an eye on all aspects, as all aspects seem to have at least one layer of facets some where in the pack.

I find finding a place to dig a representative south facing snow pit challenging.

  • The crusts vary over such short distances, with varying slope angle and with even small changes in aspect.
  • The surface hoar will be gone after today on sunny slopes.
  • The disintegrating crust at 47 cm where I was probably wouldn't allow for any propagation. Chunks would fall out of the pit wall. But in an area where the crust is more robust, I would expect an ECT to propagate.

Photo of above snow pit. Surface hoar, on it's way to melting on south facing.

Beautiful day, with still low winter light.

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