UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Observation: South Monitor Bowl

Observation Date
1/5/2019
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline » Monitors » South Monitor Bowl
Location Name or Route
South Monitor
Weather
Sky
Scattered
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Clear in the AM, overcast skies and flat light in the PM, increasing winds from the SW as the day progressed.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
Recycled faceted powder on the N facing with some decomposing wind skin thrown in, wind slabs and sastrugi on the ridge ridge lines, deafening, and somewhat painful breakable crust on the S aspects, never got warm enough to soften the melt freeze crust.
Comments
Figure the wind damage had broken down in South Monitor after a week of cold clear nights and it had. The snow in the starting zone is shallow after multiple repeater avalanches and is now loose and faceted, and suspect with any new load of snow. Basically all the surface snow in the bowl is faceted and in the thin spots it’s rotten to the ground. The wind speeds were increasing throughout the day and moving what little amount of loose snow it could find onto the N facing slopes. If the storm comes in like advertised I’m expecting avalanching in the Bowl either naturals or human triggered.
Photos: sastrugi on the ridge line, wind transport on the ridge
Thinking considerable hazard if the storm plays out tonight.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable