Provo Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Evelyn Lees

BOTTOM LINE

Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)


Danger Rose Tutorial

As the winds increase this afternoon, the avalanche danger will rapidly rise to LEVEL 2 (MODERATE) on any steep slope with new deposits of wind drifted snow. These drifts will be most widespread on mid and upper elevation slopes facing north through southeast, and so sensitive that you need to avoid travel both on and below steep, wind drifted slopes. The avalanche danger will continue to rise overnight to LEVEL 3 (CONSIDERABLE) in areas that receive 6 more inches of dense new snow.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

Under partly cloudy skies, temperatures have remained warm overnight. The ridge line stations are right around 20 degrees F, with a few 30 degree readings at low to mid elevation sites. The westerly winds are quiet this morning, with most stations averaging less than 10 mph, and the highest peaks with averages less than 25 mph. Loose, recrystallized snow on the shady slopes is the softest snow in town.

RECENT ACTIVITY

In wind affected terrain of the Provo area mountains, the UDOT forecasters found very sensitive pencil hard wind slabs yesterday, that they could remotely triggered from ridge lines and with cornice drops and ski cuts. These fast running slides were failing on 5mm surface hoar, on east through north facing slopes, between 8500’ and 9400’. In the Ogden areas mountains there were reports of small soft slabs triggered along the ridgelines on north and northeast facing terrain, and of sensitive cornice growth along the ridges. In addition, there were more reports of easily triggered long running sluffs in the weak surface snow.

THREAT #1
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Our snowpack is teetering on the edge of instability, and may get a push, or at least a nudge, by the winds today. This morning’s light winds are forecast to increase this afternoon, with the high ridgeline averages of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts to 50. Lower ridgelines should reach 15 mph averages, also enough to blow and drift the light snow. Almost anywhere the snow drifts, it is landing on very fragile, weak surface snow, and these drifts will be very sensitive to people, and can even be triggered remotely. Don’t underestimate how fast conditions can change if the wind speeds increase where you are! The danger of slab avalanches will continue to rise once it starts to snow late today through tonight, particularly on wind drifted slopes.

THREAT #2
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Easily triggered loose sluffs persist on steep slopes in the extremely weak surface snow. Terrain – “so where are you going to end up if you go for a ride?” - will determine the seriousness of these small avalanches – you don’t want to end up buried in a creek bed or be shoved off a cliff. For one last day, if you have the skills to remain out of the wind affected terrain, the avalanche danger is generally LOW this morning, with pockets of MODERATE for long running sluffs on steep shady slopes.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

The ridge over northern Utah this morning will rapidly shift east today, with a weak disturbance bringing snow to the mountains tonight. It will be mostly cloudy today, with the westerly winds increasing around noon. Across the high ridges, 25 to 35 mph averages are possible, with gusts in the 40’s. Lower ridgelines could have averages speeds to 15 mph, with gusts to 25. Temperatures will remain near 30 at 8,000'. Snow should begin to fall around 5 pm, and a storm total of around 4 to 7” of medium density snow is expected by Friday morning. A moist west to northwest flow continues through the weekend, with additional small accumulations of moderate density snow.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

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 by clicking HERE

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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.

This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done.  This advisory is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

This advisory provided by the USDA Forest Service, in partnership with:

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, Utah Division of Emergency Management, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake Unified Fire Authority and the friends of the La Sal Avalanche Center. See our Sponsors Page for a complete list.