The AVALANCHE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WESTERN UINTAS.

Conditions remain dangerous. The danger is CONSIDERABLE in the Park City and Salt Lake mountains, MODERATE in the Ogden area mountains, and still HIGH in the steep terrain in the Provo mountains. Those without excellent route finding or snow analysis skills should enjoy the powder at Utah’s world class resorts.

It would be difficult to exaggerate yesterday’s riding and skiing conditions. It would also be difficult to exaggerate the complexity of the avalanche conditions. Uncertainty must lead to caution and restraint…and gentler slope angles. But not to worry – you’ll still find over-the-head and over-the-hood powder in the last 24 hour wave of 16-20” of cold 4% smoke. Temperatures are in the low to mid-20s, and the southwesterly winds are generally less than 15mph. There’s an even 4-6” overnight with the Provo mountains again raking in 10”. It’s still snowing.

Recent activity is across the board –

· Natural new snow sluffs running fast and far as recently as 4am this morning reported both in the central Wasatch and Provo.

· Significant results with control work at both the ski areas and in the avalanche paths that threaten the town of Alta and Little Cottonwood canyon.

· Localized natural activity and hair-trigger slides in the storm snow along the Park City ridgeline noted on northeast as well as south aspects.

· An experienced skier triggered a full depth 3-4’ deep slab to the ground on a steep south facing slope along the Park City ridgeline, was caught and carried, but managed to grab a tree. Collapsing was also reported on a south facing slope yesterday as well.

All this and there were few people out and about in the backcountry.

We’ll see another few inches this morning before it becomes showery and tapers off early afternoon. The southwest winds will blow 10-15mph, increasing to 25mph by tonight. Temperatures will be in the low 20s at 10,000’, rising to the upper 20s tonight. We can expect another 1-2’ of snow by Thursday, particularly in areas favored by a southwest flow (Provo, Park City, upper Big Cottonwood). The snow level will again rise to 7000 or 7500’ by tomorrow as well. Clearing by late Thursday into the weekend.

If you trigger an avalanche in the backcountry - especially if you are adjacent to a ski area – please call the following teams to alert them to the slide and whether anyone is missing or not. Rescue teams can be exposed to significant hazard when responding to avalanches, and do not want to do so when unneeded. Thanks.

Salt Lake – Alta Central (801-742-2033)

Ogden – Snowbasin Patrol Dispatch (801-620-1017)

Provo – Sundance Patrol Dispatch (801-223-4150)

Discount Lift tickets: Ski Utah, Backcountry.com, Alta, Deer Valley, Park City, The Canyons, Wolf Mountain, Snowbasin, Beaver Mountain, Brighton, Sundance, and Solitude have donated a limited number of tickets for sale.

Wasatch Powderbird Guides flight plan.

Dawn Patrol Forecast Hotline, updated by 05:30: 888-999-4019 option 8.

Daily observations are frequently posted by 10 pm each evening.

Subscribe to the daily avalanche advisory e-mail click HERE.

UDOT canyon closures UDOT at (801) 975-4838

You have the opportunity to participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting avalanche and snow observations. You can also call us at 801-524-5304 or 800-662-4140, or email to uac@utahavalanchecenter.org

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The information in this advisory is from the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

We will update this forecast tomorrow morning. Thanks for calling.