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Observation: Birthday Chutes

Observation Date
4/7/2020
Observer Name
P Diegel
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » White Pine » Birthday Chutes
Location Name or Route
Birthday Chutes
Weather
Sky
Broken
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Heavy cloud cover and relatively cold until about noon, then scattered clouds and lots of solar heating
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
10"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Snow Characteristics Comments
Snow from about 9400 ft to 10,300 on leeward slopes was loose and creamy until the sun came out. Windward was blown off and sculpted. Below that was much thinner and more dense (wet). No evidence of rain. No red flags other than wind transport. Heating was rapid when the sun came out - a ski cut at 1pm on a steep slope at 10,300 with a little westerly aspect released a huge display of roller balls. Last run at 2pm on due North facing was still good riding but much more dense and wet than 2 hours earlier. Everything steep below about 9,700 feet was rollerballing when skied and was quite wet. Today was a nice day to be out but I think conditions tomorrow will be pretty character-building, with different degrees of crust overlying loose, medium density wet snow.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wet Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
My guess is this problem will light up pretty early tomorrow as the upper elevation snow didn't settle a lot today.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments
I think it could be possible to find a reactive wind pocket tomorrow on the highest and most sheltered steep N facing points. It wouldn't take much in those locations to have big consequences
About 10 inches of new loose snow on top of a 10 inch or so firmer slab which released without a lot of effort with a fairly clear shear (Q2). This was on the leeward side of a wind-sculpted ridge at about 11 am.
One small ski cut released a big unruly herd of rollerballs. Time to leave.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates