Quick report
- Aspect
- Northwest
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking
- Elevation
- 2865 m
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>I was aware of recent avalanche activity in the upper canyon, but I didn't see any. There was heavy snowfall, wind loading and localized cracking in the snow surface within the storm snow. </p>
Today was a classic northwest flow style storm for upper Little Cottonwood Canyon with snowfall increasing as winds shifted to the northwest. Temperatures were dropping during the day. Screengrab of Collins Air and Wind direction and speed.
Screengrab of Collins Study Plot snow and water.
Screengrab of radar showing a northwest flow crossing the lake and heading right up Little Cottonwood faster than the skiers.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>In a couple of hand pits on a 34° northwest facing slope out of the wind zone at 9,400' I was able to get an extended column test with propagation (x 2) 6"-8" below the surface on a density change within the storm snow. I also got localized cracking around my skis while ascending which was occurring above 9,800' in more wind affected terrain. Photo of localized cracking that would be an issue on steeper slopes.</p> <p> </p>
New snow depth of anywhere from 14"-20" out of the wind zone. In the wind zone there were places that were over 3' deep and other locations that were scoured back to the old hard snow surface.
Photo of snow crystals with unique shape.