Observation: Monitors

Observation Date
2/11/2019
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline » Monitors
Location Name or Route
Monitors
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Fairly cold with clear skies, wind direction was a tough call it seemed like NW in the morning switching around to W-SW in the afternoon. Not much wind transport in W Monitor, wind transport all day in S Monitor and increasing later in the day, go figure.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
12"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
There seemed to be 10 to 12 inches of new light density snow which in wind exposed terrain was getting a wind skin or a thin wind slab. S facing was getting damp on our exit at 2:30pm
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Comments
Travel was up West Willow to the Monitors today, the south facing on the way up was light density powder until about 3/4 of the way where you entered the wind zone. The wind had created a layered and stiffer snow pack up high, the snow had Saturday nights light density under the denser snow from last night, for some reason the layering was much more perceptible on the S facing than the N. There was allot of snow being transported into S Monitor Bowl and I was a bit suspect of wind slabs on the old avalanche bed surface in the center punch of the slope but after ski cutting and jumping on some of the more prominent wind pillows just off the ridge it seemed that they were bonded well to the old surface with no cracking noted. W Monitor looked much less wind affected than S Monitor but it has not had the big clean out like S Monitor and I’m still suspect of the weak layers at the bottom of the pack, and was not up for testing these weak layers so soon after such a large load has been deposited, I think a little settlement time would be in order but that’s just my opinion.
photos: cornice development in S Monitor, tried not to spend much time under this monster while ski cutting non reactive wind slabs, and increasing wind moving more snow as the afternoon wore on
Hazard depends on wind tonight if it keeps blasting I would stay at considerable if not moderate in most terrain except for the outliers with a thinner snow pack
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates