Observation Date
12/25/2025
Observer Name
Kelly, Kelly
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Alta Periphery
Location Name or Route
Upper Little Cottonwood
Comments
Isothermic ( close to 0°C snow temperatures) snow pit with a stout rain crust on the surface. Grains were showing signs of rounding. We had an extended column test with no results, but were able to get failure with hard shovel shears on the rain soaked dirty graupel layer 59cm from the ground. Stepping out of our skis in unskied terrain we were sinking to the ground through the wet snow.
Photo of rounding depth hoar near the ground.
Seemed low where we went as things stand right now. Supportable surface up in the highest elevations, breakable in the mids, and mush down in lower elevation. Isothermic where we dug and poked around.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Coordinates
