Although most areas are Level 2 (MODERATE) danger, pockets of Level 3 (CONSIDERABLE) danger exist in wind exposed areas with both old and new deposits of wind drifted snow as well as pockets of lingering slabs within the new snow. Many of these have no clear pattern, nor are visible from the snow surface, so it’s best to just stay on slopes of about 33 degrees or less and do a careful stability analysis before jumping into steep terrain.

Yesterday was a pretty miserable day to be on an exposed ridge with below zero temperatures and a stiff, northwest wind. Today will be even colder, and yes, a little windier. Temperatures this morning on the ridges are -7 with winds blowing 15, gusting to 25 from the northwest. You’ll have a good time as long as you bring your down coat, puff pants, face mask and mittens. But the good news is a couple feet of new snow over the past 3 days. Some snowmobiles were bogging down yesterday when they got off trail and breaking trail on skis is a bit character-inducing but getting easier as the cold temperatures and wind have been firming up the snow.

We’re finally getting a better look at the deluge of avalanche activity from a couple days ago, especially in the Ogden and Provo area mountains (see Drew’s report from Ben Lomond). Yesterday, the storm snow settled and stabilized significantly aided, no doubt, by the cold temperatures. Yesterday ski resorts could still pull out some localized, class 2 avalanches with explosives, but there was very little activity from the backcountry. A couple people noticed what was reported to be a natural slab on Reynolds Peak in Big cottonwood Canyon in the Salt Lake area mountains, which was east facing and appeared to be about a foot deep by 150 wide, but Jim Harris’s fine photo shows ski tracks nearby. Also, one person was able to trigger some small wind slabs on cross-loaded, gully sidewalls on Flagstaff in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Brrrrr. Ridge top temperatures will remain at or below zero today with a 10-15 mph wind from the northwest. This is a good day to stay down out of the wind. We should have mostly cloudy skies with some light snow showers. There is a little better chance of snow tonight as the wrap-around from the exiting low in Colorado comes around the top. But accumulations should remain light. Saturday and Sunday we should see warming and clearing with ridge top temperatures rising to 15 degrees on Saturday and up to 25 on Sunday. It looks like we will get to rest and catch up as we don’t see any large storms for the next 10 days or so.

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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