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Observation: Cardiac Ridge

Observation Date
12/26/2019
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Fork » Cardiac Ridge
Location Name or Route
Cardiff Fork
Weather
Sky
Broken
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
A mix of clouds and sun most of the day, light snowfall in the am.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
12"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
There seemed to be about a foot of light density snow non wind effected. It didn't seem like the sun was out long enough to dampen the S facing and might still be good in the am.
Comments
Travel today was up from the Alta Guard station, Little Superior NE facing, Cardiac Ridge, Ivory Flakes and out BCC. The main activity today was sluffing in steeper terrain but the sluffs where not as large and not running as fast today. I also noted a small soft slab on LSB NE that was probably triggered from the ridgeline by someone heading up to Superior in the morning, it had a crown but only ran 60ft or so. There was evidence of some soft slab activity yesterday on Cardiac Ridge as well, with the largest one coming out of the main line off the top, the sluffs were still running today but they seemed slow and easily avoidable. No cracking or collapsing was experienced today. If the sun comes out tomorrow and it warms up the new light density snow may become reactive on steep slopes with a melt freeze crust underlying it, mainly on S facing slopes.
photos: soft slab on LSB, yesterday's soft slab on Cardiac Ridge, and a test slope on the way up to see sluffing potential.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate