Check Out Our Holiday Auction!

Observation: Powder Park

Observation Date
12/6/2025
Observer Name
Evan
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Mill D North » Powder Park
Location Name or Route
Power Park 3
Red Flags
Red Flags
Heavy Snowfall
Wind Loading
Cracking
Collapsing
Poor Snowpack Structure
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Increasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
About 12-18" of new, heavy snow with a fair bit of consolidation into a slab
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Problem #2 Comments
12-18" of new snow sits on top of facets to the ground. Did not dig a bit, but there was a noticeable lack of support under the new storm snow
Comments
Widespread shooting cracks, whumpfs, and collapsing while breaking trail up to powder park 3. Quite unsupportable base of facets under the new snow. Surprisingly, the snow felt more stable higher up than the first 1000ish feet off the Mill D North summer trail, but by no means stable. Near the ridge top, lots of wind loading created a very cohesive wind slab with the new snow. Cracks would shoot out 10 feet in front of us, and we felt and heard the whole slope settle multiple times on the way up. It skied quite well, without much in the way of early season hazard under the snow, just some bushes sticking up. No notable reactivity on the 2 laps down.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
High
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
High
Coordinates