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Observation: Cardiac Bowl

Observation Date
12/15/2025
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Fork » Cardiac Bowl
Location Name or Route
Cardiac Bowl
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Warm and sun cold in the shade, light winds and clear skies.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

Damp or a melt freeze crust on the S depending on time of day. The N is either completely faceted out to the dirt, mostly on E-NW or most of the pack is faceted out from the bottom up with a wind crust on top, like Cardiac Bowl, not much of a slab anywhere i traveled.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Only red flags are surface faceting or a completely faceted out snowpack on the polars. Only a red flag when it finally gets a load.
Comments

Headed up to Cardiac Bowl today to access the extent of the faceting that has been taking place the last 3 or 4 days with cold clear nights and warm days. I was surprised how weak the snow has gotten in a small amount of time. The Bowl avalanched wall to wall during our last storm, there’s over 6 ft of snow in the debris piles at the bottom but in the starting zone at 10700ft there is only about a foot and a half remaining and it has basically faceted out completely with a little crust layer towards the bottom. The upper snow pack in the bowl is super weak and will not support much weight when and if we get a load on it. I was also seeing weak snow on due E, NE, N,NW. The faceting snow made for better skiing but will be a major red flag when we get precipitation. First video is Cardiac Bowl, second one is due E

Video
Video
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low
Coordinates