Little Cottonwood Canyon Circuit

There's simply no snow to ski. Every SNOTEL station in the area — Annie Springs at 6,021 ft, Long Lake, McNeil Canyon — is reading 0 inches of snow depth. The 0.2" SWE at Annie Springs is residual moisture, not a skiable snowpack. The Utah Avalanche Center has issued no rating for the Salt Lake zone, which at this time of year means the season hasn't started, not that conditions are safe and unrated. No bulletin, no snow.

The weather does show a possible early-season event coming. Tonight brings a 31% chance of light snow, and Wednesday looks more meaningful at 60% precipitation probability with a high of 31°F — that's snow at elevation. But a single light snow event on bare or near-bare ground won't build a base for touring. Expect an inch or two at most above 8,000 ft, not a skiable surface.

Thursday clears out with partly sunny skies and a high of 36°F, so any accumulation from Wednesday will be subject to solar radiation on sun-exposed aspects. With no established base layer, even a few inches of new snow on rock and dirt presents obvious hazards — no coverage for ski bases, unpredictable surface, and no established snowpack for stability assessment.

Stream crossing data in the raw feed references California gauges, which don't apply to this trip. Daylight is tight at 10h 22m with sunset at 5:22 PM — that matters for a future trip when conditions come in, so plan your turnaround times accordingly. Watch for the first significant storm cycle in the range, ideally 12+ inches at the Snowbird/Alta area before committing to this circuit.