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Observation: Brighton Perimeter

Observation Date
4/16/2019
Observer Name
B
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Brighton Perimeter
Location Name or Route
Brighton Perimeter
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Fog from valley bottom to the ridges (Obscured) throughout the am, with partial clearing and Few. Temperatures appeared to drop mid morning for a brief period and then rose rapidly throughout the day with low 40's at 8000. S2 throughout the am with S1 afternoon.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
10"
New Snow Density
High
Snow Surface Conditions
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Damp is an understatement. Below 10000 feet the snowpack was wet down 60 cm with 5 cm of dry snow at the surface maintaining this depth throughout the day until 1400 despite continued snowfall. Riding was acceptable and it was possible to carve in the upper 10 cm on low angle. Above 25 degrees you were carving deeper into the damp, wet and or saturated snow. New snow overnight and into the early morning hours was at least 8 inches, and throughout the day it definitely snowed at least 4 to 6 with this new drier snow being consumed by the warm snowpack.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Totally saturated snowpack down 60 cm from the latest event as well as last weeks meter of new snow is resting on a variable thickness m/f crust that is serving as an excellent bed surface. Upon exiting at 1400 it was easy to initiate wet stuffs and slabs on steep slopes, and it most likely got even more sensitive and reactive as the day progressed due to rising temperatures and increasing solar. Monday nights overnight lows appear to be cold enough to create widespread m/f crusts on all aspects up to at least 9800 if not higher. New snow appeared to let up around 1700 at 8000.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wet Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
See above and wet loose being able to initiate deeper wet slabs appear very likely on Tuesday with the temperatures rising significantly as well as increasing solar.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Cornice
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments
These lingering giants continue to be an issue.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable