Forecast: Ogden Area Mountains - Utah Avalanche Center

Forecast for the Ogden Area Mountains

Issued by Drew Hardesty on
Monday morning, December 11, 2023

A MODERATE avalanche danger exists in the upper elevations. On west to north to east facing slopes, it will be possible to trigger an avalanche 1-3' deep down into old weak snow from the early season. Cracking and collapsing may or may not accompany unstable slopes. You may also encounter unstable soft slabs of wind drifted snow along the higher elevations as well. All other slopes have a LOW danger.

Low

Moderate

Considerable

High

Extreme

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Weather and Snow

Skies are partly to mostly cloudy with mountain temps in the upper 20s to low 30s. Winds are light to moderate from the west.

Coverage is decent with 3-4' of dense "maritime" snow for easy travel and good riding on the wind and sun sheltered terrain.

For today, we'll have partly cloudy skies, temps in the low 30s, and light wind from the west.

The Outlook: fairly grim. Plenty of sun, seasonal to above seasonal temps, and light wind. Mike Seaman, the lead meteorologist this morning at the National Weather Service, describes Utah as moving into the "No-Flow-Zone". In other words, we're in limbo between the main storm track to the north and a weak system that dives to the south. I might be grasping at straws here, but perhaps we'll see a pattern change around the Solstice.

Recent Avalanches

No reports of recent avalanches from the Ogden backcountry.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

A conditionally unstable snowpack exists in the upper elevation west to north to east facing terrain. Old weak faceted snow is capped by 2-3' of heavy dense snow (strong over weak). Although we have not heard of any avalanches in this layering in recent days, Greg Gagne's field work in the Powder Mountain periphery depicts a snowpack that should not be trusted yet. See photo below. Extra Caution is required in steep terrain.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

Elevated winds from the west and northwest along the highest elevations should keep you alert to unstable soft slabs of wind drifted snow in steep terrain. Avoid smooth rounded scallops of soft slab in the highest elevations today. They should start to stabilize soon.

Additional Information

Forecaster's Corner:

Idle Weather does the Devil's Work: Clear skies over the next several days will start to weaken the surface snow on the sun sheltered aspects, developing our potentially next weak layer.

UAC Education Coordinator McKinley Talty's haiku from fieldwork in Provo yesterday:

❄️

Poor structure afoot

Tipping point looming ahead

Where will you be then?

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This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done. This forecast is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

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