Observation: Broads Fork

Observation Date
3/13/2018
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Broads Fork
Location Name or Route
Broads Fork
Weather
Sky
Scattered
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Warm temperatures, partly cloudy skies with a light breeze from the SW.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

Found dense loose snow, mixed in with a little wind crust, with boot deep penetration on the Diving Board, damp saturated snow up to the base of the DB at around 9'000ft, melt freeze crust on the W facing above 9,000ft quickly softening and becoming damp by 12AM. Isothermal snow on the exit from 8,700ft and down.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Rapid Warming
Poor Snowpack Structure
Comments

Went up Broads fork to have a look and see if the warm temperatures had facilitated in any glide avalanches, I was a bit surprised at the lack of wet activity, mainly roller-balls and small point releases. The usual glide cracks are in place but in my opinion there is not enough weight from our sorry snow-pack to put much tension on the slab and thus releasing them. I did avoid spending time under them and put my skin trail up the Diving Board in a place least susceptible to getting caught by a glide avalanche, I also made haste getting up in exposed terrain and out as quickly as possible. The temperatures were warm but not overly warm due to cloud cover and a light breeze. The snow-pack on the DB is thin and the structure is poor but I think the only thing that would make it avalanche at this time is a slide coming off the rock slabs above and triggering a slide into the depth hoar near the ground, all bets are off if we get a decent load of snow out of the next storm. Photos: The usual glide cracks in Broads, minor wet activity, and a shot of the upper part of the DB with a surprising lack of wet activity.

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