Observation: Cardiac Bowl

Observation Date
10/25/2019
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Fork » Cardiac Bowl
Location Name or Route
Cardiac Bowl
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Speed
Calm
Weather Comments
Warm with clear skies and zero wind.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Dry snow on the N end of the compass with a mixture of surface facets and decomposing wind skins with NSF underlying. Damp snow by 12pm on all E, SE, SW, S and W. The S side hade a melt freeze crust in the am.
Comments
The main thing that is happening to the snow right now is that it is faceting, on the surface in deeper areas, and through the whole pack in shallow areas. I dug a pit in the starting zone of Cardiac Bowl at10,900ft and was surprised at the depth, 2 feet plus of dense settled snow sitting on a thin met freeze crust, but the surface has already begun to facet. The snowpack is mostly supportable still but with more cold clear nights in the forecast that will change rapidly. The E facing on Cardiac Ridge got damp by noon and will be crusted in the am. The S facing did quite a bit of melting today and might completely melt if we have a few more days of warm temperatures.
Photo: snow pit in the starting zone of Cardiac Bowl
Today's Observed Danger Rating
None
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
None