In partnership with: Utah Division of State
Parks and Recreation, The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Department
of Emergency Services and Homeland Security and
“keeping
you on top”
AVALANCHE ADVISORY
Thursday,
April 10, 2008 7:30 am
Good morning, this is
Special Announcement: UDOT is
performing avalanche control work above Little Cottonwood Canyon this morning
mainly in hopes of bringing down some of the recent layers of snow before the
forecasted warm up for this weekend which could produce significant wet avalanche
activity. The road should re-open before
830am.
Current Conditions:
Get out and get it
while the gettin’ is good because warm weather is on
the door step. Another 5 to 10 inches of
snow fell throughout the range on Wednesday with densities lightening up quite
a bit last night. Temperatures are in
the mid to upper teens at 10,000 feet and low to mid 20s at 8000. West northwest winds picked up yesterday
afternoon and gusted into the 50s at the most exposed locations. They are now gusting into
the 20s & 30s and averaging 5 to 15 along the mid elevation ridges.
Snow and Avalanche Discussion:
Yesterday’s avalanche
danger definitely increased as the day went on with a period of moderate to
heavy snowfall coupled with gusty winds.
Many people noted sluffing that would run far enough to pack a bit of a
punch. Cracking of the new snow quickly
became apparent with a number of people triggering fresh drifts in the upper
Cottonwoods. These were fairly small in
nature but one was around 150 feet wide and around 6 inches deep. Greenhousing made the snow damp and heavy mid
day at certain locations. This density
change produced some cracking and one person reported triggering a damp slab avalanche
on Patsy Marley above Alta. I found interesting
conditions during my field day on Thursday also.
For today the first
concern is the newest snow which has formed some fresh drifts. You can find these on a variety of aspects at
the mid and upper elevations. I wouldn’t
be surprised to hear of a slab breaking deeper into the previous storm layering
on the upper elevation northerly facing aspects as well. Perform slope cuts where appropriate to see
if the snow will crack. Quick hand pits
will reveal layering easily.
Fresh unconsolidated
snow and periods of sun dictate us to keep a close eye out as the snow may
become damp and produce wet activity as the day progresses. Consider where your route will put you as the
day goes on. Avoid lingering in gullies
and under steep slopes especially in the more popular areas of the Cottonwoods.
Bottom Line for the
Mountain Weather:
For today we’ll see periods of
clearing with temperatures at 8000 feet in the low to mid 30s. West northwest winds will average 5 to 15 mph
along the mid elevations and gust into the 30s along the higher ridges. Scattered light snow showers are
possible. A minor disturbance will move
through this evening bringing the possibility of a quick shot of snow and a
slight increase in wind speeds. We’ll be
on the down slope side of the approaching ridge which will keep us in a
northwesterly flow through Friday bringing partly cloudy skies and cool
temperatures. A dramatic warm up is
scheduled for the weekend especially Sunday and Monday.
Announcements
The Wasatch Powderbird
Guides did not fly yesterday, and will go for Mineral,
If you want to
get this avalanche advisory e-mailed to you daily click HERE.
UDOT highway avalanche control work info can be
found by calling (801) 975-4838.
Our statewide tollfree line is 1-888-999-4019 (early morning, option 8).
Watch video tututorials and fieldwork from UAC staff at our YouTube
channel.
The UAC depends
on contributions from users like you to support our work. To find out
more about how you can support our efforts to continue providing the avalanche
forecasting and education that you expect please visit our Friends page.
If you see any avalanches or interesting snow conditions, please leave us a
message at (801) 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140, or email us at [email protected].
(Fax 801-524-6301).
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.