Snowpack

Observation: Little Cottonwood Canyon

Greg GagneSalt Lake
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Quick report

Red Flags
Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking, Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comment
<p>Storm snow and wind-blown snow was reactive during periods of heavy precipitation. Rapid rate of change being applied to snowpack on northerly aspects where facets live.</p>

Late afternoon tour in upper LCC. Some cracking in storm and wind-blown snow. Old snow surface was quite varied, so difficult to determine bonding. I was finding two weaknesses: (1) density inversion within storm snow, (2) old snow surface. I am expecting storm snow & wind drift instabilities to settle out on Thursday, but am concerned of rapid loading on faceted layers, especially on north and northeast aspects. Video below showing some of the weaknesses in storm snow on northeast aspect.

Snowpack

Tough to determine total new snow with so much wind-blown snow. Snow was more reactive during periods of high PI in the mid-afternoon, especially in areas that had some wind-effet.