Join us this weekend at the 12th annual Greatest Snow (and avalanche workshop) on Earth. Tickets still on sale for Pro, Motorized and Open Session.
More info Octobruary is in full swing and while the storm has passed the cold temps are still lingering. Mountain temps are hovering near or below zero and wind chill is well below -20. Temperatures should be creeping up into the teens throughout the day. This most recent storm totals have settled to about a foot of low density snow at the upper elevations with a total snow pack between 1.5'-2'.
Avalanche Situation:
With the end of the recent storm event, the snowpack is a mix of wind and sun crusts, and facet sandwiches under a layer of recent low density snow. This upper layer of snow will continue to sluff naturally on steep terrain at upper elevations, and still holds the potential to step down to underlying crusts on steep east and west facing slopes. While the winds didn't blast yesterday, they were enough to move this low density snow around meaning human triggered wind slabs are possible in wind drifted terrain. This early season snowpack has a dramatic spatial variability and each slope should be assessed separately.
Weather Outlook:
The precipitation should be on hold for the remainder of the week, clear skies are expected with light winds and temps warming into the mid teens throughout the week.
Yesterday in the Gunsight area within the boundaries of the closed Alta Ski Area a skier triggered a small soft slab of new snow with a crown of 14" and 5' wide at 10,100' on a Northeast aspect.
Video below.
Ski resorts all have different uphill travel policies. Some are closed to uphill travel, others are open to uphill travel.
Resorts that allow uphill travel can be great places to get in a little skiing especially in you know of a rock free slope, but it is backcountry terrain.
