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Observation: West ridge

Observation Date
12/1/2022
Observer Name
Will Ambler, Will Marin
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » 10420 » West ridge
Location Name or Route
West Ridge of 10420
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Poor Snowpack Structure
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
I'm sure this doesn't come as a surprise but today we witnessed some crazy winds from the SW-SSW. Blew my sunglasses off my head and about toppled me over, it also stripped most of the new snow off the ridge and the windward slopes. There were hard and soft wind slabs on the lee slopes. In a hand pit at 9500' I had a slab shear off cleanly at a change in density within the new snow. 1f to 4f-. These wind slabs are piled on top of faceted snow. The skinning conditions were less than ideal on the ridge due to the hard wind packed snow or the hard old snow, exposed by the wind.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Problem #2 Comments
Buried NSF observed on NE-NW today
Comments
Even in terrain sheltered by the ridge in the aspens we observed some irksome wind crusts on top of the soft new snow. Only in the denser pines on the lee side of the ridge did we find pleasant turning conditions. I'm excited to see what tonight's storm brings
Pictured below, Will M crunching through the wind buffed surface a few hundred yards past the TH.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
High
Coordinates