UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Observation: Salt Lake

Observation Date
12/2/2022
Observer Name
Coyne, Miller, Putman
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Reynolds
Weather
Sky
Few
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Calm
Weather Comments
Clearing morning skies, light winds with occasional moderate gusts. Dropping temps indicated a change in wind direction from west to north late morning.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
10"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
Nice to have some powder back on the surface! little to no wind effect in sheltered locations, wind drifts and pillows were more visible on less wind sheltered slopes.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Heavy Snowfall
Wind Loading
Cracking
Collapsing
Poor Snowpack Structure
Comments
Travel today was up Mill D North to ski low angle off the Reynolds shoulder via the Dog Lake approach. Travel was pleasant, drainage and subridge winds were light with only the occasional gust drawing in a cold north wind. Along the way, we found widespread collapsing and cracking while traveling off the skin track and along the creek of Mill D North. We could feel the entire snowpack drop what felt like a good 2 inches.
We dug at 9,100ft on a NW slope off the shoulder of Reynolds with a HS of 130cm with an ECTP24 failing on facets below a 1F windslab formed from the wind event over the past couple of days.
What did we take away from this? Well, with the incredibly strong winds over the past couple of days, some slopes might have stubborn tendencies to avalanche, but nonetheless avalanche. Classic PWL set up.
Looking back on Kessler and a handful of north faces, we did not observe any large crowns. We could see a few smaller avalanches from our perch that were reported by other parties.
Video
Today's Observed Danger Rating
High
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable
Coordinates