Observation: Lower Days

Observation Date

1/7/2026

Observer Name

Torrey & Davis

Region

Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Days Fork » Lower Days

Location Name or Route

Lower Days

Weather

Sky

Overcast

Precipitation

Light Snowfall

Wind Direction

West

Wind Speed

Light

Weather Comments

Clear skies early this morning were short-lived. Overcast skies moved in by 10:00. Light snow showers began around noon and lingered through early afternoon. More graupel and rimed precip particles. Occasional light south and west breeze. Moderate west wind on the ridge top. very minimal drifting.

Snow Characteristics

New Snow Depth

10"

New Snow Density

Medium

Snow Surface Conditions

Powder

Dense Loose

Snow Characteristics Comments

Velvet powder skiing. Prevalent small grain (0.5-1mm) NSF mixed with decomposing and fragmented grains from recent snow on the surface. Paper-thin rime crust capping NSF/DF layer. Southeast-facing slopes had a thin, breakable crust. The crust was thin enough in most places that skiing remained *okay*. Some isolated areas of Radiation Recrystallization were found on the SE aspects above this thin crust. The new snow problems from the previous days, including fast sloughing, had settled out and were well behaved on steep slopes.

Avalanche Problem #1

Problem

Wind Drifted Snow

Trend

Increasing Danger

Problem #1 Comments

Minimal drifting was observed and was confined to slopes immediately below the ridge top. Towards the end of the day small column tests on freshly wind-drifted slopes produced easy failures at the old/new snow interface.

Avalanche Problem #2

Problem

Persistent Weak Layer

Trend

Increasing Danger

Comments

I went to Lower Days today to get a closer look at some of the avalanches that were reported yesterday from this area. (Crystal Palace, Peggy Days) I did not go to the crowns to investigate the exact structure, but looking through binoculars was able to determine that the slides failed within the recent storm snow and did not fail below CERC. Given the amount of graupel I found in snowpits on similar aspects, and loose dry avalanches that ran above where the slabs had failed, I believe that these slabs were triggered during an intense period of precipitation Monday afternoon. The Crystal Palace avalanche did not fail on SE aspect as was previously reported, but was deeper than others, ~2 ft deep.

Video

Today's Observed Danger Rating

Moderate

Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating

Considerable

Coordinates

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