SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT |
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Stocking stuffers! We now have discount lift tickets available. Go to our Online Store or click this PURCHASE LINK to Backcountry.com who is distributing them for us. You can show your support by purchasing UAC hard goods (great xmas gifts!!) through our Online Store from the main menu above. We offer free shipping on everything.
On Thursday at 6pm at the Snowbird Iron Blosam Lodge in the Wildflower Lounge, Tyson Bradley will present A Climb in the Khumbu about his recent return to the Khumbu region of Nepal and climbing attempt of a Himalayan giant. There will be a drawing for gear, with proceeds benefiting the Utah Avalanche Center. Must be 21. Details here
At Alta, the Supreme and Catherine's areas will be closed to backcountry skiing as they do avalanche control to open it this weekend. |
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BOTTOM LINE
Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)
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Danger Rose Tutorial
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Slopes to avoid today:
Any slope approaching 35 degrees or steeper with recent wind deposits.
Any slope over 35 degrees or steeper that faces northwest, north, northeast or east because of sluffing within the old snow.
Use your usual bag of avalanche tricks on other slopes and remember the new snow conceals lots of rocks! |
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CURRENT CONDITIONS |
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We had a much-needed paint job yesterday and last night. New snow amounts are mostly 2-5 inches. A couple automated stations have reported 7 inches but I suspect wind drifting. The snow is very light and fluffy with water weights from .2 to .4 inches of water. The winds were fairly stiff yesterday from the northwest as the storm came in and have since become more reasonable and have switched to the east and northeast.
Remember that the thin coat of new snow just makes obstacles invisible like rocks, stumps and old tracks.
Temperatures have plummeted and are zero on the high peaks and in the single digits at most lower elevation stations. Ridge top winds are blowing from the northeast 15-20 mph with higher gusts. |
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RECENT ACTIVITY |
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We did not hear about any activity from yesterday. |
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THREAT #1 |
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PROBABILITY |
SIZE |
TREND |
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Over the next
24 hours.
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In the business of avalanche forecasting, whenever a storm comes in your first question is always: how weak is the pre-existing snow? In this case, it's extremely weak. See my video from the past couple days. So in other words, it does not take much weight to make things interesting. I don't think there is enough weight from the new snow alone to change the avalanche conditions very much, but my main worry is where the wind has created a thicker, stiffer drift on top of all the extremely weak, faceted snow. Winds blew yesterday fairly hard from the northwest as the storm came in and have switched to the east and northeast overnight.
As always, avoid all slopes approaching 35 degrees or steeper with recent wind deposits. They will usually look smooth and rounded and they will crack or collapse under your weight. Many of these avalanches will gouge down to the ground so it will be a nasty, rocky ride. This bumps the consequences up far higher than you would expect with a similar sized avalanche with a deeper snowpack. Although the danger is Moderate in most areas, I have colored in pockets of Considerable danger. |
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THREAT #2 |
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| WHERE |
PROBABILITY |
SIZE |
TREND |
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Over the next
24 hours.
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Many people have reported nasty, loose snow sluffs over the past week within the extremely weak faceted snow just under the new snow. With the added weight of a little new snow, it will exacerbate this problem. I would stick to gentler terrain today. |
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MOUNTAIN WEATHER |
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With clearing skies today, 8,000' temperatures will get into the mid teens and remain in the single digits on the ridge tops. Winds will blow 15 mph from the northeast. On Friday, we will have clear skies once again with temperatures rebounding into the mid 20's. It looks like we will have a fairly nice Christmas weekend.
The extended forecast hints at several stronger, warmer storms for next week starting on about Tuesday. Stay tuned... |
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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)
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 clickHERE.
UDOT canyon closures UDOTat (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 clickingHERE
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.
We will update this forecast tomorrow morning. Thanks for calling.
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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. |
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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. |
