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Observation: Park City Ridgeline

Observation Date
12/31/2020
Observer Name
Paradis / Brackelsberg
Region
Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline
Location Name or Route
Park City Ridgeline
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
North
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Light snow before 10am left a dusting but no real accumulation. Nice day to be out - cool but not too cold; not windy
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
1"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
East winds from perhaps 12/28 created widely variable snow conditions in open areas. Some places were firm, others were deeper and dense, often within the space of a few feet. This made skiing a little inconsistent.
The winds also created unusual loading and scouring patterns. East winds are not common and we observed wind drifts in locations we had never seen them form before. See photo below for example of scouring.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
We didn't notice any cracking or collapsing which is a bit of a change from earlier in the week. The biggest red flag is the snowpack structure. It was very easy to push your hand or pole through the weak facets and leave the more recent snow intact. This will be around for a while. The east wind and unusual loading patterns are the next red flag. Maybe these wind slabs are less of an issue now, but east winds can load slopes in unexpected ways and have been responsible for several accidents.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Snow Profile
Aspect
North
Elevation
8,900'
Slope Angle
25°
Comments
Snow pit did not produce eye popping propagation but maybe that's because the slab was relatively soft where we dug, which was out of the wind. See video below. The main take away is really the poor snow structure.
Video
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable
Coordinates