Observation: West Desolation Ridge

Observation Date
12/10/2018
Observer Name
Patrick Fink
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Mill D North » West Desolation Ridge
Location Name or Route
West Desolation Ridge
Red Flags
Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
No evidence of instability today, but I was lower and off of North faces. Warm temps are contributing to settling, and perhaps future bridging of our problem layer.
I'm wondering
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Normal Caution
Trend
Same
Comments
Late start today at Beartrap Fork TH, with temps around freezing at 12:30 pm, feeling warm, with calm wind. A period of warming continued until around 2pm, with lots of tree bombs falling. No rollerballs that I saw. Clouds arrived around 2:15 which kept temps cool. Wind transport was visible along the highest ridgelines in big and little cottonwood.
Surface hoar is growing on sheltered aspects, limited mostly by sun since we've not had much wind lately. Crystals are small and in Beartrap fork were largely above a zipper sun crust. Surface conditions on nonsolar aspects included settled powder and 10-20 cm of recrystalizing surface powder.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates