UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Observation: Little Cottonwood Canyon

Observation Date
3/15/2018
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon
Location Name or Route
South facing LCC
Weather
Sky
Broken
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Mostly cloudy with breaks of direct sun, light snowfall not adding up to anything, light winds and greenhousing caused by the sun and low lying clouds, warm.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
10"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

8 to 10 inches of new snow, the bottom 5 was quite dense, lightening up as you neared the surface. Damp snow at mid- elevation underlying the new, not much wind damage.

Comments

Skied multiple lines on the south facing across the street from Alta, Cardiff Bowl, Toledo, East Hellgate. The new snow hung in until 12:30-1:00pm when the SE and S went off due to breaks of direct sun and green housing, if we don't receive more snow or have a cold clear night the south facing will be crusted in the AM. The new snow seemed well bonded to the underlying surface whether it be a melt-freeze crust, old settled powder or damp, and I did not note any active density inversion in the new snow. Got on some fairly steep slopes at upper elevations and could not get anything to move except a little cracking in obvious wind drifts. I wouldn't think the weight of the new snow is NOT enough to reactivate any buried weak layers in the pack. The new snow had shrunk down to about 5 inches on the south facing at my exit at 2:00PM

photos: low hanging clouds and breaks of sun creating green housing and dampening of the snow surface, and Udots Matt Mckee"s trusty avalanche dog doing his job.

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