Observation: Cardiff Fork

Observation Date
12/22/2018
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Fork
Location Name or Route
Cardiff Fork
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Cold and sunny with a somewhat bitter NW winds on the ridge line.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
7"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Seemed to be about 6 to 8 inches of new light density snow, in some of the more exposed terrain it had a bit of a wind skin. The S end of the compass got damp and will most likely be crusted in the morning.
Headed into Cardiff from the LCC side and skied out to BCC at the end of the day. The terrain covered was the N facing Keyhole into Cardiff, Hansen’s, Cardiac Ridge, Rockslabs and Ivory Flakes. The main activity noted today was sluffing of the new snow in steeper terrain and shallow wind slabs in steep wind effected terrain. Noted one fairly large wind slab that pulled out under the Rockslabs 50 to 60 feet wide, most likely ran on pooled graupel that rolled down the slabs and acted as a weak layer. By mid day it seemed like these instabilities were on the decline, and most of the new snow was well bonded. Didn’t seem like enough weight to activate any buried weak layers in the terrain covered.
Photos: wind slab below the rock slabs, sluffing in steeper terrain, new snow only wind slab skier released and the wind still moving snow on top of Superior
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate