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Observation: White Pine

Observation Date
3/28/2021
Observer Name
Derek DeBruin
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » White Pine
Location Name or Route
White Pine Fork
Weather
Weather Comments
Partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies, generally light winds. Sub freezing temps at the trailhead gave way to temps above freezing (as evidenced by crusts beginning to melt) sometime between 10 and 11am near 10,000ft. Generally a quite pleasant day for weather.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Characteristics Comments
High northerlies still held soft snow, but anything outside of NW to NE was sun affected in some way. At mid/lower elevations, snow surface was a mixed bag by midafternoon of lingering crust, damp, wet, chunky, and the occasional bit of soft thrown in. Wind affected snow was present at the ridgelines, with cornices a couple feet tall on Red Baldy. We did not note any windslab concerns on Red Baldy.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Rapid Warming
Red Flags Comments
Saw the results of the widespread loose wet cycle from yesterday on the skin up White Pine on E-S-W aspects; largely point releases and a few bigger D1/D2. With the warm up today, we noted 3 different natural wet slides on steep, high E facing terrain that caught our attention. D1-2 as point releases fanned out and entrained loose snow. The surface snow on the northerly aspects that we skied was fairly cohesive, on a slick bed surface. This resulted in larger and longer running dry loose avalanches than I anticipated beneath my skis in steep terrain. We didn't stick around long enough to see much natural activity on W aspects, but I'd bet money they happened.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate