Sadly, there was another avalanche fatality yesterday in the western Uintas. A 49 year old man triggered a deep, wide avalanche and was buried and killed.
Very preliminary report here. Thursday, a snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche near Circleville Mountain in the Tushar mountains. Our deepest condolences to both their family and friends.
There have now been four avalanche fatalities in four weeks in Utah. Snow + wind = avalanches. With several more storms on the way, the avalanche danger will remain elevated in all the mountains of Utah through the week.
Overnight, the Provo mountains received 3 to 4” of very low density snow (5%). Temperatures are in the teens and low 20s this morning, scattered light snow showers continue, and there has been a bit of a lull in the southwesterly winds. Speeds are moderate - averaging 10 to 15 mph, with a couple high elevation ridgeline stations to the north averaging 25 to 30 mph, gusting in the 40s.
There will be a few golden hours this morning before the southwesterly winds once again increase ahead of the next cold front. Increasing snow and wind by around noon, with the cold front arriving between 4 - 6 pm, accompanied by lightning and a burst of heavy snow. The strongest winds will be from about noon to 8 pm. Average speeds on mid elevations ridgeline speeds could reach 30 mph, with gusts in the 40s. The high elevation alpine terrain could average to 40 mph, gusting in the 60s. Winds will shift to NW and decrease after the front, with snow through midnight for areas favored by northwest flow. Snow totals of a foot or more by morning, with temperatures falling into the single digits.
Slide in Wooly Hole, from Friday or Thursday. C Miller photo.
Second slide we watched come off of the top of Bomber Peak, 11,440 above Pika Cirque where the wind was ripping pretty good. E-NE facing. Photo below