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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There is a MODERATE danger in the backcountry, and you could trigger wind slab avalanches on drifted slopes steeper than around 35 degrees. The danger of wet avalanches will rise with seasonal midday heating, and shallow loose wet avalanches will become likely on any steep slope with saturated surface snow. Evaluate the snow and terrain carefully and continue to use good travel habits.... |
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CURRENT CONDITIONS |
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Yesterday's new snow at upper elevations contained mostly graupel and was a bit inverted, with a heavier layer sitting on a lighter one. Lower down, the fresh snow was fairly heavy and quite moist. The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports about 7 inches of snow--mostly graupel, containing 1.1 inches of water from yesterday's storm. With 102 inches of total snow, the station sits with 106% of average water content for the date. Looks like the wind sensor on Logan Peak is all rimed-up, but I'm reading 23 degrees at the CSI weather station at 9700'. |
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RECENT ACTIVITY |
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Snow safety crews in the Wasatch Range report triggering a number of fresh soft slab avalanches yesterday, some running pretty far.
We didn't trigger any avalanches in the backcountry yesterday, but as we made our way along the Third Sister ridge-line in upper Cottonwood Canyon, we did cause a few audible collapses or spooky whoomfing noises, accompanied by long thin shooting cracks outlining ridge-top wind slabs. Also with a bit of evening clearing, we could see evidence of some recent slab avalanches on the steep slopes just above Tony Grove Lake....
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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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You could trigger soft and stiffer wind slabs around a foot deep on drifted slopes steeper than around 35 degrees. Although mostly of the manageable variety, some of these might dangerously break above you or be a bit wider than you expect.
Yesterday's weakness, consisting of a density difference within very graupelly snow may linger for a little while on some very steep slopes, and freshly formed wind slabs may not bond well in areas where graupel pooled up, like right under cliffs and lower down on long steep slopes.
You should continue to avoid and stay out from under huge local ridge-top cornices.. |
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THREAT #2 |
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PROBABILITY |
SIZE |
TREND |
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Over the next
12 hours.
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Loose wet avalanches involving moist fresh snow will become likely on steep slopes in the midday heat. Fresh snow can become saturated and unstable very quickly this time of year. The danger of wet avalanches will probably increase with seasonal and solar warming today and especially with clearing in the next couple days.
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MOUNTAIN WEATHER |
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We'll see increasing clouds and perhaps some snowfall this afternoon as a closed low slowly drifts from the Southern California coast into the 4-corners region. The mountains could get a few inches of accumulation on a southerly flow overnight and tomorrow as tropical moisture is pumped northward by this feature. Expect points to our south and east to do better with this weekend's system, however. The next springtime storm will impact the region on around Tuesday.... |
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GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS |
Our "Know before You Go" video is available online..... (click HERE to watch it)
Please let us know what you're seeing in the backcountry, especially if you see or trigger an avalanche, by leaving us a message at (435-)755-3638 or 1-800-662-4140. Or, you can always e-mail us at uac@utahavalanchecenter.org. . Your observations are very important for our program.....
The Utah Avalanche Center depends on contributions from users like you to support our work.
I will be issuing intermittent and weekend advisories through the rest of April..... I will update this advisory by about 7:30 on Friday morning...
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 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. |
