Salt Lake Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Drew Hardesty

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Sunday, April 11th, will be our last daily forecast for the season. We may issue bulletins as conditions warrant.

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 is generally LOW today, with pockets of MODERATE danger on steep, mid and upper elevation northerly facing slopes for triggering a 1 to 2 foot deep slide, especially on wind drifted slopes. There are also pockets of MODERATE danger for wet loose and wet slab avalanches on steep low and mid elevation slopes.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

Under partly cloudy to mostly cloudy skies, temperatures have continued to warm, with ridgetop temps climbing into the mid to upper 20s. Cooler air pooling in the drainages and basins have readings into the upper teens. Westerly winds are generally less than 15mph, though they're expected to come on like a freight train tomorrow into early Monday ahead of the next fair-to-middlin' storm. Riding conditions remain quite good in the upper shady swath of the higher elevations. Elsewhere, the snow is in transition from breakable to supportable crusts; each softening with sun and warmth by mid to late morning.

RECENT ACTIVITY

2nd hand reports from upper Little Cottonwood had a skier being chased by his own wet loose sluff down the steep west to southwest face of Patsy Marley. Nothing else significant was reported.

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

Approach the steep, northerly facing slopes with the usual caution – with 50 to 100 inches of snow in the past 10 days, there are layers in the snow that could still be triggered by a person, including wind drifts, lower density snow and graupel (pellet snow), which is pooled beneath cliffs and on lower angle terrain. Continue to place ski and slope cuts across the upper starting zones, move one at at time through exposed areas, and stay focussed. Remember even a pried out shallow wind pocket can have disastrous consequences above unforgiving terrain.

THREAT #2
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 10 hours.

Cloud cover will be hit and miss today. Be your own forecaster. Avoid any steep terrain that has had too much sun and heat and starts to become punchy and/or saturated. These are manageable issues. Choose when and where you want to be based upon the conditions.

THREAT #3
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Warming temperatures will continue to weaken these yawning waves. Give them a wide berth. Remember last week's fatality unfortunately had the victim collapse a large cornice, only to ride over cliffbands and trigger other slides on the way down.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

A driving warm front will push even warmer temperatures, increasing winds, and perhaps even a shower or two into northern Utah. Temps will increase into the mid to upper 30s at 10,00' and push into the 50s at 8000'. The southwesterly winds will gradually increase to 20-25 by the afternoon. The winds are expected to increase through early Monday, mach-ing to the 45-50mph range. A cold front moves through late Monday into Tuesday, with a few inches of snow expected.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

SLC: Please contact Alta Central (801-742-2033) if you trigger a large avalanche in the backcountry, especially if you are adjacent to a ski area, 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.

Ogden: Please contact Snowbasin ski patrol (801-620-1000/1017) if you trigger a large avalanche in the backcountry, especially if you are adjacent to a ski area, 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.

Provo: Please contact Sundance ski patrol (801-223-4150) if you trigger a large avalanche in the backcountry, especially if you are adjacent to a ski area, 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.

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 fill out the observation form on our home page.

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.

I 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.