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Observation: Days Fork

Observation Date
1/13/2019
Observer Name
Hardesty, Wilson, Pine
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Days Fork
Location Name or Route
Upper Days-Banana Days-Benson Hedges
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
East
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Glorious. A cool east wind.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Surface snow weakening somewhat; more below.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
In general, the areas with the season's snowfall have gained a great deal of strength within the snowpack. Thinner, rocky, outlier terrain harbors more facets and more question marks. Found upper elevation northerly areas in Banana Days that had run previously with an HS of about a meter. Plenty of facets within this structure, but any sort of tests brought out discontinuous and variable shears at best.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments
Most of Wednesday's wind drifts are welded in. Still, large wind drifted, unsupported terrain should be avoided as a rule. See photo below.
Comments
Haven't been in Days or Cardiff this winter and wanted to get a look around. Noted both RR (radiation recrystallization) on steep southerlies and very small non-alarming diurnal facets where they had eaten away at some wind effect. The first photos are RR; the second photos are of the diurnal variety. Both RR and melt layer facets form in over-drive due to the radical energy transfer during phase change (liquid to ice). The photos paint that well. They are much larger and more angular in nature.
In some isolated and thinner snowpack areas, the snowpack has begun to completely facet completely. Mark White has described this structure in No Name, etc. It's a tactile thing - we call it "sandboxing" where you're climbing up and finding only weak purchase through the weak cohesionless faceted snow. Video below. Areas that harbor a great deal of sandboxing are suspect with future storms and prone to avalanching.
Video
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low