Observation Date
12/9/2019
Observer Name
L. Dunn
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Fork
Location Name or Route
Cardiff
Weather
Sky
Clear
Weather Comments
Overcast skies in the morning gave way to a clear and sunny day with very little wind.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
8"
New Snow Density
High
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
The new snow was mostly graupel and other heavily rimed snow pellets. But it was right side up...not punchy.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
We traveled up Cardiff to the lower angle slopes in the High Ivory area. Hasty pits and pole penetrations near our high point of 9900' revealed about 40" of snow with a layer of weak facets near the ground and a fairly uniform snowpack above it. Lower down on the slope, the snow depth was only about 2-3' and the weak facets were found only intermittently. The new snow was dense and skied fast. You could not feel any of the old snow surface. We experienced no settlement or cracking in the new snow. There was some wind effect on the snow at the higher elevations, but not enough to form a slab in the areas we traveled.
Comments
It was a very quiet day in the upper Cardiff backcountry with excellent skiing, but the facets near the ground on the high north side of the compass are still lurking.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable
Coordinates
