Observation: Alta Ski Area

Observation Date
11/3/2022
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Alta Ski Area
Location Name or Route
Alta, Old Yellow
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
About 10" of noncohesive stellars atop a sun/rain crust. Some long-running sluffs >600' vertical in steeper terrain.
Comments
Skied untrafficked E/SE aspect around 10,200. Skies obscured with occaisional cloud breaks, no wind, temos in the low 30s.
E/SE aspect was HS ~75cm. 30-35 cm noncohesive stellars atop a 1.5-2cm pencil hard sun crust, supportable. Below the crust, loose rounded forms, slightly damp, no faceting at the ground. No facets at the crust interface. No slab or energy in multiple hand pits.
Observed <24 hr old long running skier triggered sluffs, biggest on E/NE terrain in Greely, running 700', ~50' wide. Didn't ski beyond upper 30s today, couldn't make any snow move at these angles. Reasonable structure, with crust keeping you off the bottom. Challenging track setting at steeper angles.
Wind effect was visible on the high shoulders of Baldy and Sugarloaf. Would expect isolated hard slabs in upper elevations.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates