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Observation: Big West

Observation Date
3/23/2021
Observer Name
L. Dunn
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Broads Fork » Big West
Location Name or Route
BCC>Broads Fork>Big West > Lake Blanche exit
Weather
Sky
Broken
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northeast
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
We had just enough cloud cover and on and off snow showers to keep the sun from damaging the snow. There were already some thin crusts on south and southeast from previous days' sun, but it didn't seem like the snow degraded much above 8k today.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
Although it probably snowed more often than it wasn't snowing today, it didn't accumulate. The snow surface on the northwest facing Big West was dry powder and the same was true in Lake Blanche/Eeny Meeny...except if the slope had any southeast aspect there was some thin crust from previous warming/sun. Below 7.5k the snow was becoming damp on all aspects. When the direct March sun poked through, it was warm and could have led to a wet/loose cycle, but we just didn't get enough sun to have any impact today.
Comments
Basically this observation is just to confirm the Low Hazard forecast issued by the UAC. We saw no signs of instability today. There were some old sluffs near steep rocky features, but we didn't trigger much in the way of sluffs today even when skiing near 40 degree slopes/rollovers. If there is a density inversion in the recent storm snow, I couldn't find it with my hasty pits. The snow that fell without any wind over the weekend has bonded and settled. All quiet in the terrain we covered today.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low
Coordinates