Snowpack

Observation: Cardiff Pass

C BrownSalt Lake
View on map

Quick report

Red Flags
Heavy Snowfall, Cracking
Red Flags Comment
<p>Just barely forming into a very soft stom slab approaching the pass. Had some small senistive soft slabs collapase and crack on 35~40* test slopes but not really move anywhere. Remote trigger of a little pocket on the NE aspect climbing off the pass, about 10" deep.</p>

If the winds pick up to what the forecast says I think there will be some pretty sensitive wind slabs tomorrow morning. I would think a moderate hazard tomorrow with pockets of considerable depending what the winds do and how much more snow we get.

Pictures of cracking pocket of the storm slab, and third picture of remote trigger pocket, triggered from 20-30' away.

Snowpack

Instability Comment
<p>Soft storm slab's forming in upper elevation terrain. The winds were very well behaved but the snowfall rate was forming a storm slab that was sensitive and somewhat connected. I assume this will settle out very quickly after the storm, but will continue to build until then and become more sensitive. Things seemed pretty well behaved, but if the winds pick up wind slabs will form quickly. </p>

About 8-10" new snow, medium density forming into a storm slab around 9500'.  Density change in snow about 3-4" down.  Hitting the scratchy bottom on all but pretty low angle terrain on the south side.   The snow seemed to fall straight down with very little wind observed around 10,000'.