Snowpack

Observation: Park City Ridgeline

C BrownSalt Lake
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Observation photo 1

Quick report

Aspect
East
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Collapsing, Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
Elevation
2713 m
Slope Angle
Red Flags Comment
<p>Very obvious red flags today. Hard to ignore them, in your face with the widespread avalanche activity, heavy snow collapsing, warming temps and poor strcture. Was not able to observe any of the avalanche activity or windloading, but aware of these due to the bulletin. </p>

Stayed in very benign terrain with the AIARE I class today due to the avalanche danger existing. Found some great test slopes below No Name Bowl area. Test slopes were large pile of excavation debris which proved difficult terrain for snow pits (rocks, boulders, and tree debris in pit varying depth greatly on a micro scale). This terrain affected the HS and proper isolation during PST. Overall I think the profile was fairly representative of the snowpack in sheltered lower pack areas. Was not observing much of a density inversion at this location, but would expect that would be very different in less sheltered and higher elevation areas.

Snowpack

Instability Comment
<p>Where we were looking the persistent weak layer wasn't &gt; 1m deep, but we were looking at a shallow pack. Would be considered a deep slab in other deeper pack areas. Saw this react while isolating a column for a CT. Collapsing on the persistent slab between the 2 crusts about 40-48 cm from ground. Inaccurate PST results on this layer were PST (end) 70/100 70cm down. (Issues with the terrain led to not effectively/completely isolating the column on one side, which affected the test) Also observed some instabilities in the facets (NSF?) directly under the storm slab (60cm-52cm from ground in our pit), an un-quantifiable RP observed when pulling on column.</p> <p>Observing a RP in the density change in the storm slab during a Shovel tilt test about 70cm from ground, or 50 cm from surface. Observed this in our pit on Sat. as well, that interface in the storm snow does not appear to have bonded very well.</p>

Seeing some grapel in the new snow, about 1 cm+.  5" overnight.