Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Salt Lake Area Mountains Issued by Evelyn Lees for Saturday - November 29, 2014 - 6:28am
bottom line

The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE on steep, upper elevation slopes facing northwest through north through east, where avalanches could still break to the ground. If you are searching for the softer snow on these shady slopes, choose low angle terrain, with slopes gentler than about 30 degrees in steepness with nothing steep directly above you. Also avoid any fresh drifts of wind-blown snow and steep slopes with punchy, damp snow.
special announcement

On December 4, Powderwhore Productions will be bringing Some Thing Else to Park City. A fundraising raffle will be held to benefit the Utah Avalanche Center. Details here.
current conditions

Under partly cloudy skies, a mild southwesterly flow has kept temperatures objectionably warm through the night. Most mountains stations are currently in the low 30s to low 40s, and many did not reach freezing overnight. The southwesterly winds are brisk, averaging 15 to 25 mph, with gusts in the 40s. The highest ridge lines and peaks have hourly averages to 40 mph, with gusts in the 60s and 70s.

Average snow depths on the ground range from 10” in the Ogden and Provo area mountains, to 15 to 30” in the Cottonwoods.

recent activity

No new avalanches were reported yesterday. But that hasn't been the story earlier this week - here's a great Weekend Avalanche Review blog by Bruce. Check out all the recent avalanche on our Avalanche list HERE.
Avalanche Problem 1
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

Winds and warm temperatures seem to be strengthening the upper snow pack, but not the weak facets on the ground. This basal layer of persistent weak facets is on the mid to upper elevation slopes, facing northwest through northeast. The snow is becoming more stubborn and it is getting harder to trigger a slide, however thes means slides are more likely to break out above you when you are mid-slope. Any slide will fail near the ground, guaranteeing a nasty ride across rocks.

Example of a rocky bed surface from a slide triggered on Wednesday, Catherine's pass area. Laura Kendall photo.
Avalanche Problem 2
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

While there is not much snow available for transport, the strong winds may be able to create a few fresh drifts in upper elevation terrain, which should be avoided. Increasing clouds and the cooling winds should keep the snow cool today, but if you are on a slope where the snow is wet and punchy, head for low angle slopes.
weather

It will continue to be warm and windy today, with increasing clouds this afternoon. The southwesterly winds will remain near 20 mph, with gusts to 40s, at most locations. Across the few highest peaks, speeds will slowly lessen, with gusts dropping from the 60s and 70s to the 50s. High temperatures today will be in the low 40s at 8000’ and the mid-30s at 10,000’.

general announcements

Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting snow and avalanche conditions. You can also call us at 801-524-5304, email by clicking HERE, or include #utavy in your tweet or Instagram.

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 and Park City – Alta Central (801-742-2033), Canyons Resort Dispatch (435-615-3322)

Snowbasin Resort Dispatch (801-620-1017), Powder Mountain Dispatch (801-745-3772 x 123).

Sundance Dispatch (801-223-4150)

EMAIL ADVISORY  If you would like to get the daily advisory by email you will need to subscribe here.​ 

DAWN PATROL Hotline updated daily by 5-530am - 888-999-4019 option 8.

Twitter Updates for your mobile phone - DETAILS

UDOT canyon closures:  LINK TO UDOT

Utah Avalanche Center mobile app - Get your advisory on your iPhone along with great navigation and rescue tools.

Wasatch Powderbird Guides Blog/Itinerary for the Day.  

Lost or Found something in the backcountry? - http://nolofo.com/

Ski Utah mobile snow updates

Discount lift tickets will soon be available at Backcountry.com - Thanks to Ski Utah and the Utah Resorts.  All proceeds go towards paying for Utah Avalanche Center avalanche and mountain weather advisories.

To those skinning uphill at resorts:  it is your responsibility to know the resort policy on uphill travel.  You can see the uphill travel policy for each resort here. IMPORTANT: Before skinning or hiking at a resort under new snow conditions, check in with Ski Patrol.  Resorts can restrict or cut off access if incompatible with control and grooming operations.

Benefit the Utah Avalanche Center when you shop from Backcountry.com or REI:  Click this link for Backcountry.com or this link to REI, shop, and they will donate a percent of your purchase price to the UAC.  Both offer free shipping (with some conditions) so this costs you nothing!

Benefit the Utah Avalanche Center when you buy or sell on ebay - set the Utah Avalanche Center as a favorite non-profit in your ebay account here and click on ebay gives when you buy or sell.  You can choose to have your seller fees donated to the UAC, which doesn't cost you a penny.

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 exist.