Observation: Dog Lake area

Observation Date

1/17/2026

Observer Name

Pavlantos, Prival L2 Kaitlin, Ryder, Sam, Jill

Region

Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Brighton Perimeter » Dog Lake area

Location Name or Route

Dog Lake Ridge

Weather

Sky

Clear

Wind Direction

Northwest

Wind Speed

Light

Weather Comments

Observed gusts on ridglelines transporting snow.

Snow Characteristics

Snow Surface Conditions

Dense Loose

Melt-Freeze Crust

Damp

Snow Characteristics Comments

Snowpit 1 with scoured wind texture on snow surface. Pit 1 location was located west of pit 2 and more northerly. Pit 2 observed surface snow better perserved on NW aspect.

Red Flags

Poor Snowpack Structure

Red Flags Comments

Facets under CERC. 3-10cm thick 50-65 cm down (depending on pit) grauple layer showing varied results.

Avalanche Problem #1

Problem

Persistent Weak Layer

Trend

Same

Problem #1 Comments

Poor snow structure continues at faceted snow layer under the Christmass Eve Rain Crust. Observers like keeping danger level moderate on northerly upper eleveation due to poor snowstructure and buried reactive grauple layer found.

Avalanche Problem #2

Problem

Normal Caution

Trend

Same

Problem #2 Comments

Watch for thinner snow pack on northerlies. We were curious about possibly triggering a slide on the burried grauple layer in isolated areas.

Snow Profile

Aspect

Northwest

Elevation

9,700'

Slope Angle

35°

Comments

NOTE Ryder and Sam (pit 1): 2 THERMOMETERS WERE USED THAT SHOWED SAME SURFACE TEMP BUT AFTER PROFILE CLEARLY DEPICT THEY WERE OUT OF CALIBRATION NULL TEMP PROFILE.

NOTE: KAITLIN AND JILL (pit 2) : OBSERVERS RECORDED TEMPURATURE -7C (150CM), -4C (110CM), -3C (90CM) BUT THEY DIDN'T ANOTATE IT IN SNOWPILOT BECAUSE THE TEMPS WERE THE SAME AS THE PREVIOUS ABOVE 10CM TEMP RECORDING. OOPS ALWAYS LEARNING

pit 1 (ryder) CTM at a grauple layer 65-75 cm down from snow surface. We were alarmed.

pit 1 (sam) CTN failed on shovel shear at same grauple layer depth. We were baffeled (Spatial Variability!)

Both observers and instructor were surprised and hopeful for an ECT with propagation but to no avail.

ECTX

Note: ECT full column also sheared clean with shovel shear after 30 taps

Pit 2 (Kaitlin and Jill) CTN, ECTX (sheared off after 30 taps at facets under CERC)

Today's Observed Danger Rating

Moderate

Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating

Moderate

Coordinates

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