Salt Lake Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Brett Kobernik

AVALANCHE WATCH »

The risk of an avalanche is expected to increase significantly but the timing and location are still uncertain. Stay tuned for updates.
Notice:

We've issued an AVALANCHE WATCH for all the mountains of Utah. A very weak pre existing snowpack along with recent snow and strong winds along with more expected snow is causing dangerous avalanche conditions in the backcountry. Steep avalanche terrain should be avoided over the next few days.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Evelyn Lees will be giving a presentation tonight at the University of Utah in cooperation with SheJumps. Details are HERE.

BOTTOM LINE

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


Danger Rose Tutorial

The avalanche danger remains at CONSIDERABLE on slopes approaching 35 degrees and steeper that face west through north through southeast. Large and dangerous human triggered avalanches are probable on numerous slopes. People without expert level snowpack assessment skills should stay off and out from under any steep slopes.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

Mountain temperatures are in the upper teens to low 20s. Southerly winds are slightly gusty with gusts 15 to 20 along the mid elevation ridges and gusts in the 30s and 40s along the upper elevations. Some locations have an easterly component to the winds. Little Cottonwood is up to about 9 inches of snow overnight. The rest of the Wasatch is in the 4 to 6 inch range.

RECENT ACTIVITY

The snowpack is not bluffing people, it's weak this year. Avalanche activity confirms it. A number of human triggered slides occurred on Wednesday. A skier went for a ride while ascending a northeast facing slope in Days Fork at about 10400 feet. It was 150 to 200 feet wide and was 1 to 4 feet deep. He was carried around 400 feet and ended up ok. What looks like another close call was an avalanche off northwest facing Peak 9990. It appears a skier triggered a slide that broke about 2 feet deep and 100 feet wide running 500 feet. Tracks indicate he escaped it before going for a ride through the trees. Another large avalanche was intentionally triggered by skiers kicking cornices off Scotts Peak along the Park City Ridgeline. This one broke 2 feet deep, 300 feet wide and ran at least 600 feet vertical. One more small pocket worth mentioning was what looks like a skier triggered slide in the East Bowl of Silver Fork which broke mid slope and was around 16 inches deep, 30 feet wide and ran 60 feet. One natural avalanche that ran during the storm is noteworthy also. It was a repeater on the Days Fork Headwall. Most of these slides broke into old weak snow. A couple of other notes; I received at least one observation of significant collapsing on a southerly facing cross loaded slope indicating weakness present. Also, snowcat operators at Snowbird observed some natural activity overnight.

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

Your primary concern today is going to be the chance of triggering one of these bigger avalanches breaking into old snow. The recent additional snow and wind have pushed things to the edge. Naturals breaking into old snow are spotty right now but things are no doubt sensitive to people. Preexisting weak snow is present on west through north through southeast facing slopes. If you are on steep mid and upper elevation slopes that face those directions, you are in terrain most likely to avalanche.

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

Recent and fresh wind drifts are a concern today as well. Any fresh drifts are suspect. They may break within the newest snow then step down into weak snow once they get moving. This problem is most pronounced on northwest through northeast facing slopes however watch for crossloading on all slopes. Southeast winds may provide an unusual westerly snow loading pattern today.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

We'll see snow this morning before things taper off around noon. An additional 2 to 4 inches is possible. Temperatures will be in the low to upper 20s and winds will be moderate to strong along the ridges from the south. Winds may have an easterly component. We'll have a slight break this afternoon then the chance for more snow tonight into the weekend.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

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 at discounted prices.

The Annual Backcountry Awareness Fundraising Party is hosted by the Snowbird Renaissance Center and will be held in the Golden Cliff in the Cliff Lodge. Hors d'œuvre, beer and wine will be provided along with music from Rex &Kevyn, a short presentation and silent auction. Tickets are $50 per person. Click HERE to purchase tickets.

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.

Free UAC iPhone app from Canyon Sports.

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

UDOT canyon closures UDOT at (801) 975-4838

We appreciate all your avalanche and snow observations. You can also call us at 801-524-5304 or 800-662-4140, or email to uac@utahavalanchecenter.org

Donate to your favorite non-profit – The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center. The UAC depends on contributions from users like you to support our work.

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.

Bruce will update this forecast on Thursday 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.