Observation: Park City Ridgeline

Less snow today than originally anticipated leaves the northern PC Ridgeline just on the edge of a significant cycle: The incredibly weak (November snow) >4" facet layer underlies the recent low density storms' snow but without enough weight or wind to create a slab, we observed no significant activity. The facets lie in some areas on top of a firmer 1F-4F base and in rocky, more complex terrain exist down to the ground. NW-E is main concern.

As a local snow safety member noted while digging through facets on rock slabs of Squaretop, "After Thursday this all might come unglued."

Agreed. Today's skiing was good on N and E slopes with very little slab present only in isolated wind fetches. However, the November facets in this area are some of the weakest I've seen compared to the Cottonwoods and Millcreek. Another load on Thursday with wind and/or skiers could easily start to set the ridgeline's paths off.

Pic 1- 9600' ENE- HS 76cm. Upper red line-new snow, minimal wind. ECTN2 and ECTN7 failing in facets below. Weak but no slab/connectivity. Lower red line- 12cm facet layer that pours out on contact.

Pic 2- Cracking in many wind-affected areas. Unlike Mark White's obs., though, here cracks didn't extend more than a couple meters. Likely the Monitors/Scott's Land further south saw more wind due to lesser forest coverage.

Between 2" and 4" of new snow on top of Saturday's storm, overall lightly wind-affected.  Areas of scouring and cross-loading on windy features near Murdock Peak and Squaretop.