Observer Name
Grainger
Observation Date
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Avalanche Date
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Region
Salt Lake » Mill Creek Canyon » Yellow Jacket
Location Name or Route
Yellow Jacket
Elevation
9,200'
Aspect
Northeast
Slope Angle
39°
Trigger
Natural
Trigger: additional info
Cornice Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Depth
15"
Comments
Overall at mid-elevations this morning's new snow had reasonable cohesion at the new/old interface despite the density inversion.
Observed 2 small (SS-NC-R1-D1) avalanches on ridgetop today that illustrate my main current concern. Light-Moderate SW winds throughout the last 12 hours accompanied by 6-13"(elevation dependent) medium-density snow created soft windslabs isolated to ridgetops & exposed terrain features. These pieces likely ran naturally from cornice fall during the height of PI mid-morning today. The first photo shows an full-cornice crack multiple feet back from the edge, a good reminder to keep the cornice root location in mind. This ridge has a number of NNE areas that load from SW wind and this is a good indicator slope for slab sensitivity/propagation. Other pieces here had run during the last cycle and were more obscured by today's snow.
The cornices along Gobbler's north ridge (Depth Hoar Bowl) are mature and while I couldn't see any crowns under them I wouldn't be surprised at natural results there or Alexander East Bowl.
I anticipate less sensitive but larger wind slabs in the next day, particularly on N-->E ridgetop aspects.
Coordinates
