Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Plenty of red flags heading up Big Cottonwood with numerous road side sluffs and storm slabs from the dense snow and low-elevation rain. Above about 9000' the air was cold enough that the effects of wet snow weren't present and it was just a dense, unreactive storm slab.</p>
Overall quick stability tests were showing overall stable conditions with storm snow unreactive to stability tests, and the few wind drifts we encountered were also unreactive. However, the rapid amount of loading of snow/water and wind should prevent anyone from venturing onto steeper terrain, and fortunately the lower-angled slopes are riding quite well. Am expecting with colder temperatures forecasted beginning Friday, the snowpack should begin to lockup and stabilize quickly.
Photos of cornices and the effects of wind scouring and drifting near Scotts Peak along Park City ridgeline.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Persistent winds out of the south/southwest drifting leeward aspects, with very large cornices. In some places the cornices are overhanging the slopes below by about 10'.</p>
Difficult to determine actual depths of new snow as it was so dense. Fortunately the density kept you on top of the inverted snowpack, and you were able to travel and ski in the top 5-10 cms, providing excellent travel and ski conditions. Dense storm slabs were not sensitive to stability tests, and the few wind drifts we encountered were also not sensitive.