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Observation: Parleys Canyon

Observation Date
3/1/2023
Observer Name
Hardesty, Armitage, Weber, Preston
Region
Salt Lake » Parleys Canyon
Location Name or Route
The Burn, Another Roadside Attraction
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Southeast
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Moderate terrain-forced down canyon winds in Parleys Canyon. Light wind at the mid and upper elevations. A few flakes of snow just before noon.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
2"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
Only a couple inches of overnight snow.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
We did not experience any cracking or collapsing in our travels.
Comments
VARIABLE snow conditions and VARIABLE structure. Found extensive wind damage at the mid and low elevations. A checkerboard of hard slabs of wind drifted snow (photo) that did not react with human weight or ski cuts on test slopes.
I went looking for wind slabs and the buried President's Day thin layer of facets that have been noted since then. The facets were buried 40-50cm and noticeable but not reactive with snow tests. (ECTN20s)
What I didn't expect was to find such significant variablity - a (probably) wind scoured area (NW@7150') held less than 1m and it showed: the entire snowpack was nearly comprised of - how do you say this - right-side-up structure of faceted grains, the weakest just beneath last night's couple inches of snow. See photo below.
It is possible that one might find this isolated structure capped with a hard wind slab, but A-this structure seemed isolated and not representative, and B-the slab probably would not be very well connected if triggered.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates