Southwest winds are intensifying this morning, drifting yesterday's fresh snow into upper and mid elevation avalanche starting zones. Wind drifted snow and widespread buried persistent weak layers are creating HIGH avalanche danger in the backcountry. At low elevations, the faceted snow was dampened byThursday's rain, and we found unstable conditions yesterday.
The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reported 17 inches of new snow yesterday, with 2.4" SWE in the last 48 hours. It's 21º F and there's 64" of total snow containing 96% of average SWE. I'm reading 15º F at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station, and southwest winds are certainly drifting snow, currently averaging around 30 mph, gusting into the mid 40s.
High pressure aloft will settle over the area this weekend. A new and potent storm system will reach Utah Monday and bring widespread precipitation to the area early in the week. For today, we'll see snow showers, with 2 to 4 additional inches of accumulation possible, a high temperature of 31º F at 8500', and 14 to 20 mph west winds with gusts around 40 mph. Tonight we'll see snow showers and temperatures rising to about 31º F, and 15 to 20 mph south wind.
-The search is resuming this morning for a missing backcountry skier, thought to be buried in an avalanche near Electric Lake, on the Manti Skyline. Preliminary report
HERE.
-As you know there have been numerous large avalanches across the region in the past couple days.
-Snow safety teams in Northern Utah in the last couple days have seen the most active period they've seen so far this season.
-Natural avalanches were widespread in the Wellsville Range, but they're covered up by fresh snow now so not so obvious.