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Observation: Park City Ridgeline

Observation Date
2/25/2023
Observer Name
Brackelsberg
Region
Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline
Location Name or Route
Park City Ridgeline
Weather
Sky
Broken
Wind Speed
Calm
Weather Comments
It was a warm day. The clouds kept the sun obscured most of the day which led to green housing of the snow.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
We had a gammut of snow conditions. First thing in the morning we were surprised by how dense the snow was. This made trail-breaking arduous. As the day progressed, green housing led to very damp snow in lower elevations. By the end of the day, this snow was already frozen with a zipper crust. On the ridge lines, we had a combination of supportable and breakable wind crusts.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Collapsing
Rapid Warming
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Wind loading on the ridgelines alone with some roller balls late in the day. What really caught us by surprise was the thundering and reverberating collapsing we experienced on low-angle west aspects. Talking to another party, they had the same collapses on south aspects. We climbed the same skin track three times and had collapsing each time. Our snow pit revealed a 15cm layer of facets beneath a very thin sun crust which formed prior to the last storm.
Snow Profile
Aspect
West
Elevation
8,800'
Slope Angle
22°
Video
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates