Join us at our 2nd Annual Blizzard Ball

Observation: Meadows

Observation Date
12/3/2014
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Silver Fork » Meadows
Location Name or Route
Meadow Chutes
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
That would be light rainfall to 8000ft, light snowfall above. Warm and wet, with a fairly low cloud deck.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
1"
New Snow Density
High
Snow Surface Conditions
Rain-Rime Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

1 inch of new snow might be a bit of a reach but there's no smaller amount in the drop down box. Surface snow was damp to about 9500ft.

Comments

Took a afternoon walk up to the top of the Meadow Chutes for lack of anything else to do, was also was curious how high up the snow pack was saturated. Lets see, rain line 8000ft, snow pack completely saturated to 9000ft, and 4 inches of damp, non reactive, hopefully decomposing facets under the 20 inch deep slab at about 9700ft. Been living in Utah my whole life and I've never seen such damp snow up so high in early December, nor have I ever had to use skin wax in December. Thinking the skiing is sub-par right now but I like what the warm wet weather, and settlement is doing to our snow pack right now, quite a big different from last years bottomless facets that kept us hiding under the covers till late February. Photos, Snow under 9000ft, December skin glop, mid-elevation melt down, rain below 8000ft, low cloud deck

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