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Forecast for the Ogden Area Mountains

Evelyn Lees
Issued by Evelyn Lees for
Friday, March 1, 2019
A MODERATE AVALANCHE DANGER exists on steep, wind drifted slopes at the upper elevations and some mid elevation slopes. These reactive wind drifts will be most widespread on northwest through easterly facing slopes, and their size will increase with elevation. These avalanches are large enough to catch and carry a person, and could run far and fast on the hard old surfaces. Other terrain has a LOW avalanche danger, though isolated, small wind drifts can still be triggered.
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Weather and Snow
2 to 5” of wonderful dense snow, including periods of graupel, fell yesterday afternoon and overnight, the best kind to fill in and cover the variable surfaces of wind board, sastrugi and crusts. The lower angle slopes will be the most filled in and ride the best. Skies will be partly cloudy for a while today, before filling back in with clouds and light snow this afternoon. Snow should continue through the night, with another few inches possible by tomorrow morning.
Temperatures have cooled dramatically - about 10 degrees at many locations in the Ogden area mountains, and are mostly in the 20s with a few teens along the highest ridge lines. The small front is well past the Ogden mountains to the south, and the winds have shifted back to the southwest, averaging 5 to 15 mph averages with gusts in the 20s at the mid elevations, and up to 25 mph averages with gusts in the 30s along the highest ridges.
Recent Avalanches
In the Ogden area mountains yesterday, with a just the bit of afternoon snow and wind, 8 to 12” deep drifts had formed by the end of the day, that were sensitive to ski cuts.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Sensitive new wind drifts have been created by the southwest winds from the few inches of storm snow. These soft wind drifted will be very reactive to a person or ski cuts on steep slopes, resulting in avalanches large enough to catch and carry a person. The drifts could be a foot or more deep at the higher elevations. On slopes with hard, slick sun crusted and wind hammered surfaces beneath the new snow, these slides could pick up steam and run further and faster than expected, with debris large enough to bury a person.
The drifts will become more widespread and deeper the higher you go in elevation, because there is more wind and snow. Avoid these slabs of wind drifted snow on steep slopes. Wind drifts are often rounded, smooth, and cracky. If you see a slope that’s been scoured or eroded, think about where the snow may have been deposited.
The large cornices have become a permanent part of the landscape, and today's winds are adding another layer to them. The old cornices will break back much further than expected, and the new cornices will be very sensitive today.
Mary Ellen gulch, Nason photo.
Additional Information
As temperatures continue to cool, so does the wet snow at the low and mid elevations. Still, it may be possible to get a wet loose sluff moving in unconsolidated snow on a very steep slope at the lower elevations, such as a gully, creek or road bank.
General Announcements
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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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