Observation: Alta Periphery

Observation Date
11/17/2020
Observer Name
Coyne
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Alta Periphery
Location Name or Route
American Fork Twins
Weather
Sky
Broken
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Hot hot hot! Temps were around 53F and the sun was shining around noon in upper LCC. Toured up the Alta Summer road to have a look around and see what the recent winds/sun/warm temps was doing not only to the snow, but maybe more importantly the snow coverage. It is most definitely an evolving landscape in the mountains right now. Sunday, folks were skinning the lower apron of Superior, today it's a pile of rocks again. Plenty of water was running down the newly installed roadside drainage on highway 210 as I headed down canyon around 230. Despite the warm temps, there was still snow available for transport on the high ridgelines (as Trent's forecast NAILED IT!)
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Rapid Warming
Red Flags Comments
The only signs of instability I noted were shallow loose wet avalanches along the south facing slopes peppered from Superior and through the Emma's. I would assume most of these ran yesterday when the sun had its full effect on the south facing snow without the breeze that slowed the warming a bit today. It appeared a skier/rider had traversed the Flagstaff Face at one point and sent some snow down into Flagstaff Gully. A quick glance up onto these south facing slopes and one can see why gullies and other terrain traps can be so hazardous. It sure didn't take a lot of snow to initiate a point release wet slide that continued to build up eventually terminated in a deep gully.
Comments
Photo 1: Flagstaff loose wet
Photo 2: Winds honking on AF Twins
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low