Forecast: Salt Lake Area Mountains - Utah Avalanche Center

Forecast for the Salt Lake Area Mountains

Issued by Trent Meisenheimer on
Saturday morning, April 27, 2024

Thank you for a great season!

Regular avalanche forecasts have ended. We will be issuing intermittent updates through May 1st. This most recent update is from Saturday April 27, 2024.

During the spring, there are typically three different avalanche problems:

1. Wet Snow: Wet loose avalanches, wet slab avalanches, and glide avalanches

2. New Snow: New storm snow instability as soft slab avalanches and loose dry avalanches

3. Wind Drifted Snow: Wind slabs; soft or hard drifts of wind-blown snow

Low

Moderate

Considerable

High

Extreme

Learn how to read the forecast here

Special Announcements

If you are looking to travel uphill at the ski areas then check out the UAC Uphill Travel Policy page before heading out.

Weather and Snow

This morning, it's snowing lightly in some areas, and the mountain temperatures range from 33°F at 7,400' to 26°F at 9,600'. The wind is from the south and barely blows across the upper elevations with speeds of 0-8 mph. 24-hour storm totals are roughly 1-6 inches of new snow (0.42 to 0.86" water).

Today, we will see light snowfall in the morning before the closed low around the four corners moves off to the east. As the low moves east, we will see the wind veer to the northwest and blow 5-15 mph later this afternoon. We can expect snowfall to turn more showery, and with daytime heating, some areas could have lightning and strong convective storms. Graupel would be expected during this time. All said and done, we could see an additional few inches of snow today. Sunday remains cool and cloudy. Get it while you can. We heat back up on Monday.

Our partners at the National Weather Service put out a weather discussion HERE, and the mountain weather forecast will continue to be updated twice daily until May 5, 2024.

Recent Avalanches

No new avalanches were reported yesterday. Check out all recent avalanches and observations HERE.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

When cold, dry snow becomes wet for the first time, you may see wet sluffs (loose snow that fans outward as it descends).

Larger wet slab avalanches can happen when melt water percolates through a layered, winter snowpack for the first time especially after multiple days of strong melting combined with no refreeze at night.

Wet avalanches usually don't last forever because over time, days or weeks of percolating meltwater, all the layers in the snow disappear, and the snow becomes homogeneous and dense, turning into a stable summer-like snowpack. Typically, this cycle of instability maturing into stability occurs first on the south-facing slopes in early spring, then progresses to the east and west-facing slopes in mid-spring, and finally, by late spring, the upper elevation north facing slopes go through a wet avalanche cycle.

Glide avalanches occur regularly in spring as the entire snowpack slides slowly on the ground like a glacier until they suddenly release into a full-depth avalanche. These occur periodically on steep rock slabs and occasionally on steep grassy slopes. Notorious glide avalanche locations include Stairs Gulch or the rock slabs in Broads Fork, which you should always avoid in spring. Avoid crossing under any slopes with telltale glide cracks in the snowpack. Remember, they come down randomly, even at night.

The bottom line for wet avalanches:
Get out early and get home early. Get off of--and out from underneath--any slope approaching 35 degrees or steeper when the snow becomes wet enough not to support your weight. Warning signs may include:

Rollerballs (pinwheels) in new snow that is getting wet for the first time
Natural or human triggered wet sluffs
Small sluffs fanning out into larger slides or running long distances
Cornices breaking off
Several days of strong melting combined with no refreeze at night

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

We almost always get winter-like snow storms well in the Spring. Treat each storm just like you would in winter. Avalanches can occur within the new snow typically from 1) low-density layers deposited during the storm, 2) high precipitation intensity during a storm, and 3) from wind slabs created during the storm.

It's easy to test the new snow as you travel by jumping on small test slopes to see if they avalanche or dig down with your hand to see how well the new snow is bonding. Snow can change dramatically in both space and time, so never let your guard down.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

Each storm will be worth looking at the winds to find out which direction they have blown from and what direction they will be blowing for the day. Wind can rapidly load snow onto steep slopes, making those slopes more prone to avalanching. Wind drifted snow looks rounded and pillowy; in some cases, it can sound hollow like a drum. If you see shooting cracks, it's a sign you may have hit a wind slab.

Click HERE to get quick access to wind direction and speeds from local weather station.

Additional Information

Regular avalanche forecasts with avalanche danger ratings have ended. We will continue to post all observations so please keep submitting them.
Learn what to watch for during spring avalanche conditions when the snow becomes wet with this video from the UAC.
Thanks to all of you who have sent observations this season. Crowd-sourcing is the most valuable information we get. And special thanks to all the Utah avalanche professionals: ski areas, Utah Department of Transportation, guides and educators, Powderbirds, and Park City Powder Cats.
Thanks to Darren Van Cleave and the National Weather Service who provide office space, weather forecasting, tech support, and great company.
A special thanks to all of you who donate directly to the Utah Avalanche Center. We couldn't do this without your support
Some ski areas are closed and each has a different uphill travel policy . Remember that areas open to uphill travel are no longer doing any avalanche mitigation work and must be treated as backcountry terrain
The Utah Avalanche Center is a partnership between the Forest Service and the non-profit Utah Avalanche Center. On the Forest Service side, thanks to unwavering support from our boss Renee Flanagan, Forest Supervisor Dave Whittekiend, the rest of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Michael Engelhard and Brian Murdock of the Manti-La Sal National Forest and the financial support from Chris Hartman of the Forest Service Intermountain Region. Three-fourths of the Utah Avalanche Center funding along with the awareness and education programs comes from the non-profit Utah Avalanche Center. Our forecast staff includes Director Mark Staples, Drew Hardesty, Toby Weed, Craig Gordon, Brett Kobernik, Eric Trenbeath, Trent Meisenheimer, Nikki Champion, and Dave Kelly. Chad Brackelsberg leads our non-profit. Staff on the nonprofit this year include Kate Waller, Paige Pagnucco, Andy Nassetta, McKinley Talty, Jeremy Collett, Joey Manship, Paul Diegel, Liam McDonald, Claire Hurty, Robbie Allison, Greg Gagne (forecaster) and Dave Garcia (forecaster). Board of Directors are Nicole Sumner, Kate Bowman, Michael Brill, Michael Shea, Rich Mrazik, Al Richards, Caitlin Hansen, Christian Schauf, Eric Quilter, Sarah Moles, Ted Roxbury, and TJ Kolanko
Direct funding comes from longtime partners, Utah Division Recreation, Utah Division of Emergency Management, Utah Department of Transportation, and Salt Lake County
Generous support in the form of donated lift tickets and daily observations comes from Ski Utah, Alta, Brighton, Beaver Mountain, Deer Valley, Powder Mountain, Snowbasin, Snowbird, Solitude, and Vail Resorts
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