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Observation: Park City Ridgeline

Observation Date
2/15/2014
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline
Location Name or Route
PC Ridgeline, No Name to Dutches Draw
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Flat light, overcast skies, moderate to strong ridge top wind speeds, unreasonably warm out of the wind.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Density
High
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

In the morning there was a thin crust at 8500 capping off the damp snow by afternoon on my exit at 3:pm the snow was saturated 8 inches down into the pack, full on mank. 9000ft and above wind crust and stiff snow was on the menu.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Wind Loading
Cracking
Rapid Warming
Poor Snowpack Structure
Comments

Went out this morning to have a look at No Name figured it had to have avalanched by now, wrong again, No Name has seen no activity during this storm cycle, same goes for South Monitor except some cornice falls and shallow sluffs. Wanted to get some better pics of yesterdays slides in Scotts, and West Monitor, better visibility today. Also noted a fresh Crown in main Dutch Draw and walked the ridge line to check it out. Looked to be a new snow only natural, not sure of what the trigger was but did not appear to be a cornice drop, probably just a wind loaded pocket that pulled out on its own, debris made it about two thirds the way down the slope, about a 30ft crown around 18" deep. Photos

Fresh pocket in Dutch Draw

Crown, and debris pile in Scotts, ran into Kikkert on South Monitor and we determined it was a new slide from yesterday, and not an old one I had reported from earlier in the week.

Secondary slide triggered in West Monitor yesterday, an the whole messy picture in West Monitor.

Lots of wind loading going on in South Monitor, cornices in Macdonalds getting fat and also calving off naturally.

Noted glide cracks opening up on the Mineral Slabs.

Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable