UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!
Ad
The National Forest Service Logo
icon-add Observation
Forecasts
Logan Ogden Salt Lake Provo Uintas Skyline Moab Abajos Weather Archives How to read the forecast
Observations & Avalanches
Submit Observation Observations Explorer All Observations Avalanches Fatalities Weather Place Names Map Archives
Education
Avalanche Class List UAC Class List Online Classes Resources and Tutorials Avalanche Awareness Develop Skills
Events
Store
About
Contact Who we are Core Values Staff Board of Directors Past Forecasters Sponsors Annual Reports Sign In
Blog
icon-add Observation
Donate / Join

Observation: Broads Fork

Observation Date
3/12/2025
Observer Name
Hardesty and Manship
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Broads Fork
Location Name or Route
Broads Fork
Weather
Sky
Few
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Continued moderate south winds today. Much of the transport occurred not along the highest ridgelines but rather mid-elevation or mid-slope. This may be attributed to the fact that the south winds have little snow available for transport from the steep south facing terrain (as this is mostly melt freeze)...but once they've rotored into the north facing terrain, it erodes and then deposits snow cross slope and below mid-slope rollovers. See photo of drifting adjacent to the Blue Ice.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Again, springtime mixed bag. Sheltered northerly aspects held good soft recrystallized/faceted snow. While a lot of this north facing terrain has been wind affected (upper/mid-elevations) or temperature affected (low elevations), there is a fair bit of recrystallized snow that may provide a poor snow surface and bond with the upcoming storms. I did note some slipperiness and occasional sandboxing on the uptrack. Photo of surface facets below.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
Many skiers in the upper elevations skiing the open terrain without concern. We jumped on a couple fresh wind deposits that didn't move; still - see above - I would imagine some pockets of hard and soft wind slabs exist in the mid and upper elevations in the odd nook and cranny. Drifting adjacent to the Blue Ice below.
Last week's buried faceted grains (down 30-45cm) marked by a dust layer provided stable results with a couple snow tests on north facing slopes at around 9300'.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wet Snow
Problem #2 Comments
Did not observe much issue with wet activity today, although we were headed out by 130pm. We did note a relatively new glide release on the quarzite slabs of the mini-peak north of Bonkers. Photos below.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
None
Coordinates