Quick report
- Aspect
- Southwest
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3200 m
- Slope Angle
- 32°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>We noted one collapse on a lower angle meadow at 9800' and signs of avalanche activity that occurred during the storm on southeast facing aspects was a few days old. Cornices were starting to build and there is a lot of snow available for transport. </p>
The snowpack structure is still poor with the layer of greatest concern being the dry facets above the melt-freeze crust and underneath the newest snow.
Where we traveled today we talked about the danger being Considerable based on travel advice and stuck with a plan that kept us out of start zones and out from underneath slopes where there were other backcountry travelers that could have acted like triggers.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The chances of triggering an avalanche breaking onto the PWL layer where we traveled are lower today than they were yesterday or the day before. There is still poor structure on most aspects and elevations. While things are settling out and we are seeing less in-your-face avalanche activity- this is a layer I don't trust. The Central Wasatch seems to have a deeper snowpack and may turn the corner more quickly (decrease in avalanche hazard) than periphery terrain such as Mill Creek, the Park City Ridgeline, or mid-Big Cottonwood Canyon. </p> <p>There is a lot of surface snow available for transport and we noted flagging on the leeward side of things with continued loading of steep terrain on east-southeast aspects (photo below of wind-loaded terrain on the south ridge of Tuscarora)</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>We noted avalanche debris in the Seagull- that ran during the storm and most likely had wind affected snow as part of the slab. Unsure of weak layer as debris and crown were mostly covered back over. </p>
About 2" of medium density new snow overnight. No sun or major wind affect noted. We traveled from elevations 8600'-10,640' and on all aspects.
Photo of wind-drifted snow on ridgetops