Observation: Red Pine Gulch

Observation Date
1/30/2019
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Red Pine
Location Name or Route
Red Pine Gultch
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Warm with basically no wind, except on the highest ridge lines, still cool in the shade.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
Loose and faceted on the lower two third of White Baldy mostly decomposing wind skin and wind slabs, fairly stout sastrugi up high close to the ridge line. Either melt- freeze crust or damp on SE, S, SW depending on time of day. Mid elevation, wind protected consisted of settled powder with a fairly well developed crop of surface hoar.
Comments
Went back to Red Pine in hopes of a further break down of the wind damage with the last two cold and clear nights. I was kinda amazed at how fast the surface has faceted in the last two days, breaking down the wind skin and slabs in the exposed alpine, and making the riding more enjoyable. All the N facing slopes we visited had some sort of surface faceting except above 10,500ft which is still predominantly firm and textured. The main take away is that this weekends new snow is going to land on facets or sun-crust and will most likely not bond well unless it comes in super damp. There was also some additional wet activity today on the W-SW facing with the direct sun today.
photos: surface hoar on mid elevation wind protected NE facing slope, new wet activity, and what was difficult wind skin two days ago is now faceted and loose.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low