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Observation: Brighton Perimeter

Observation Date
2/26/2018
Observer Name
B
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Brighton Perimeter
Location Name or Route
Brighton Perimeter
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Overcast throughout the day with S minus 1 snowfall after 1700. Winds were moderate out of the SW and only observed in the alpine. Wind blown and or tranport was moderate on the exposed ridgelines. Temperatures warmed into the mid to upper 20's at and above 8700 feet.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments

Winds from overnight damaged much of the upper elevation exposed terrain. Scouring and dense slabs were observed. Soft 4 finger slabs up to 9 inches thick as well as hard slabs that were knife hard and 4 inches thick were scattered in the alpine. Patches of dense wind slab were intermixed with dense creamy snow in the alpine. There were still good turning conditions in somewhat dense settled powder down off the ridges and especially in the more protected areas.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Wind Loading
Cracking
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Reports of avalanches in the outlying terrain outside of the Alta and Brighton perimeter where the shallow snowpack concerns exist continue to be reported. Overnight winds were obviously loading leaward terrain features throughout the day, and these winds had actually died down from the sustained overnight velocities. Cracking was observed on steep terrain features that had loading as described above.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments

The winds overnight on Monday appear to be forecast to be in critical speeds and continued loading may be occurring with the potential to overload areas that are housing shallow snowpack/poor structure. The danger appears to be maintaining the same trend of sustained danger.

Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments

Persistent slab concerns as cited above appear to be likely in areas that have a shallow snow pack and are receiving substantial loading from the SW and S winds. N, NE, E and SE aspects remain suspect in these specific isolated areas.

Reports from Mineral Basin and the Brighton Perimeter were noting mostly stable conditions with isolated pockets of wind slab potential with no naturals observed. As a result, moderate appeared to be the danger rating in these areas. Sustained winds overnight and into tomorrow may escalate the danger to considerable.

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