Forecast: Provo Area Mountains - Utah Avalanche Center

Forecast for the Provo Area Mountains

Issued by Greg Gagne on
Friday morning, November 29, 2024

The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE on upper-elevation aspects facing northwest through north and northeast - and MODERATE at the mid-elevations on these aspects - where it is possible to trigger an avalanche up to 2' deep failing on a persistent weak layer of faceted snow down near the ground.

There is also a MODERATE danger on all aspects at the upper elevations for shallow wind drifts and small, wet-loose avalanches on southerly aspects.

Low

Moderate

Considerable

High

Extreme

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Special Announcements

The 17th Annual Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop (USAW) is scheduled for Saturday December 7th - Information and tickets available here .

If you trigger or see an avalanche adjacent to the road or one of the ski areas and are sure no one was caught in the avalanche, call the nearest mountain dispatch and alert them to the situation, this will allow SAR teams to stand down, preventing them from being subjected to unnecessary hazard.

Sundance Dispatch- (801-223-4150)

Quick refresher on Backcountry Emergencies and Avalanche Response HERE. You may just save a life

Weather and Snow

This morning, the skies are clear with temperatures ranging from the mid-teens to the low 20's F. As cold air sinks, low-elevation trailheads are in the single digits. Winds are from the west and light (< 10 mph) with gusts around 15 mph at the uppermost elevations.

For today, skies will be sunny with temperatures rising into the mid 20's and low 30's F. Winds will be from the west and remain light through the mid-elevations. Upper-elevation winds will increase modestly throughout the day, with gusts around 30 mph.

Get used to the sunshine; there are no storms through at least the next seven days.

Recent Avalanches

Regions of the Provo mountains experienced a natural avalanche cycle overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday, with some natural avalanches failing over 2' deep in weak, faceted snow. The photo below is from Cascade Ridge (Photo J Woodruff). Click here for a list of all recent avalanche activity in the Provo mountains.

To our north in the Salt Lake mountains, three skier/boarder triggered avalanches were reported from the backcountry on Thursday:

West Monitor Bowl (Park City Ridgeline) NE aspect at 9,800' 18-24" deep / 150' wide / 600` vertical.

Scott's Bowl (Park City Ridgeline) NE aspect at 9,800' 18" deep / 100' wide / 150' vertical.

Two Dogs* (Days Fork) NE aspect at 9,600' / 18" deep / 100' wide / 450' vertical. (Photo below)

(*The Two Dogs avalanche actually involved two avalanches as the party triggered a second avalanche lower down the slope on their exit.)

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

Much of the natural avalanche activity around Big Springs and Timpanogos and the three human-triggered avalanches on Thursday in the Salt Lake mountains all ran on the persistent weak layer (PWL) of weak, faceted snow that is found at the base of our 1' - 2.5' deep snowpack on mid and upper elevation slopes facing northwest through northeast. As this weak layer slowly adjusts to the weight of the storm snow from Tuesday, you may get fewer clues - such as cracking and collapsing - about this instability and tracks on a slope may give you a false sense of stability.

If you choose to venture onto slopes where this PWL exists, you will have to first dig down and look for the structure of strong (harder/firmer) snow on top of weak (softer/looser) snow (see image below). If you see this structure, it is possible you will trigger an avalanche up to 2' deep and over 100' wide.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

If the winds increase during the day, watch for fresh, shallow wind drifts at the upper elevations.

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.

Observations and Avalanches

Backcountry Emergency Procedures