Observation: Diving Board

Observation Date
3/14/2019
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Broads Fork » Diving Board
Location Name or Route
Diving Board, Broads Fork
Weather
Sky
Broken
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Cloudy, snow showers and low visibility 80% of the day with a few breaks of sun and some heavy green housing during the thinning of the clouds. Not much wind to speak of.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
2'
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
There was 15 inches at the Broads trailhead increasing to 28 inches on the Diving Board, light density, right side up and non wind affected. Green housing in the afternoon dampened the surface a bit but a cold clear night would take care of that. Damp snow at lower elevations on all aspects.
Comments
Went up Broads Fork to the Diving Board today thinking there might be a bit less snow down lower in the canyon I was way off. Once we got past Bonkers the trail breaking was about thigh deep and stayed that way until we got in some avalanche debris at the top. Ended up doing a couple runs in the Blue Ice trees waiting for some visibility, when we did get visibility it was obvious that both the Diving Board and Bonkers had avalanched during the storm and filled back in and the slope under the Blue Ice was riddled with refrigerator size blocks of ice from a glide avalanche which I assume occurred during the rain event last week. The only activity noted today was sluffing in steeper terrain and some natural sluffs in the top of the Diving Board. I would think if the sun comes out tomorrow the wet activity will spike and steep S facing chutes and maybe even lower elevation N facing chutes in LCC might shed all the new snow, which is a lot.
photos: new snow sluffs in the top of the Diving Board, old avalanche debris also in the top of the Diving Board, and the ever present glide cracks
Considerable for wet activity
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable