Observation Date
12/3/2018
Observer Name
B
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Willows » West Willow
Location Name or Route
Mule Hollow/West Willow
Weather
Sky
Few
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Dawn Patrol Tour: Sustained snow fall at an S1 Rate throughout the night and continuing to 0400 hours. Single digit temperatures, with extremely light density snow accumulating. Winds remained Light and Calm off the ridge lines. No wind blown and or transport observed. Cloud cover dissipated by 0630. High RH contributed to the beginning of SH development.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
5"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
Incredible riding from the trailhead all the way to the ridge was in bottomless "blower" powder.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Observations continue to provided evidence that the Poor Snowpack Structure is still very much a factor; and though the hare trigger reactivity has resided a bit over the past 5 days, we are still getting reports of remote triggering.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
Hasty Pit at 9600 feet, N facing had an HS of 1 meter. Basal facets were 10 cm deep with a 2 cm m/f crust above these facets, and another 5 cm of smaller grained facets on top of the crust.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments
Loose Dry Avalanche Problem will be possible on slopes 35 degrees and steeper, and the abundant light density snow that has fallen in the past 36 hours has now accumulated up to 25 cm. With the cold temperatures and low angle sun, this problem may linger for a few days. And of note: any significant sluff and or loose dry may be able to initiate a much deeper slide into old faceted snow layers.
With no natural avalanches in the recent past, and winds not forecast to be an issue with regard to new loading, the danger rating observed to day was a "High Consequence" Moderate; and the danger rating estimate for tomorrow is the same.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
