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Forecast for the Salt Lake Area Mountains

Dave Kelly
Issued by Dave Kelly on
Thursday morning, November 30, 2023
Watch for changing weather as a series of winter storms make an appearance on Friday. This storm could overload an already weak snowpack and make for trickier avalanche conditions.
For now, steep slopes on the shady half of the compass that look smooth and free of rocks will be the most suspect. Dig down to assess if you have weak sugary crystals underneath a thicker slab of new or wind-loaded snow before committing to a slope. Any avalanche that you may trigger could mean a nasty ride through rocky terrain.
This update is from 0610AM Thursday November 30, 2023.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
As local skis areas open, or work towards opening please be aware of uphill travel policies and respect their closures to keep you and their workers safe.
The 5th Annual Avalanche Awareness Week is December 3-10. The week's goal is to save lives through activities that promote avalanche awareness, education, and safety. We have a variety of events around the state. Find an event near you.
Weather and Snow
A series of winter storms comes through this weekend and additional storm snow and water could lead to rising avalanche danger especially in higher elevation shady terrain that has weak faceted snow on the ground. Get the latest mountain weather forecasts HERE.
The best and safest option for riding and turning will be north-facing terrain that isn’t steep enough to avalanche (slopes less than 30° degrees in steepness) or areas that aren't harboring weak faceted snow on the ground. The only way to know is to dig down to the ground to see if you can identify these weak sugary grains with a slab of new or wind-loaded snow on top.
UAC forecaster Drew Hardesty was out and about in upper Big Cottonwood Canyon and put together this series of videos about what he was seeing.
Recent Avalanches
Over the last few days many observers and UAC forecasters have been out documenting snow on the ground. Check out all the avalanche and snowpack observations HERE.
Yesterday I went out and looked an avalanche in the Birthday Chutes that was originally reported to the UAC on November 25th. This avalanche was more than large enough to have buried a backcountry traveler.
Submit a snow and avalanche observation HERE.
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General Announcements
Additional Information
  • It’s never too early to start thinking about avalanches. Here are a few things to consider doing:
  • Learn online. We have over 5 hours of free online learning at the Know Before You Go Website
  • Check out the upcoming in-person Know Before You Go events HERE
  • Sign up for an on-snow class
  • Check out the UAC's education progression HERE
  • Get your avalanche rescue gear ready for winter. Put fresh batteries in your transceiver and update the firmware. Inspect your shovel and probe. Get your airbag backpack ready by possibly doing a test deployment and updating the firmware if it is an electric version or getting your canister refilled if it's not electronic
    CLICK HERE FOR MORE GENERAL INFO AND FAQ
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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