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Forecast for the Salt Lake Area Mountains

Evelyn Lees
Issued by Evelyn Lees on
Monday morning, December 25, 2017

AVALANCHE WARNING - The avalanche danger is HIGH today – backcountry travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended. Natural and human triggered avalanches are likely. Avalanches can be triggered remotely from a distance and from below. Avoid travel on and below all steep slopes, including even the smaller, steep gullies, creek beds and road banks at the lower elevations.

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Learn how to read the forecast here
Avalanche Warning

THE FOREST SERVICE UTAH AVALANCHE CENTER IN SALT LAKE CITY HAS ISSUED A BACKCOUNTRY AVALANCHE WARNING.

* TIMING…IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM MST THIS MORNING TO 6 AM MST TUESDAY MORNING

* AFFECTED AREA…FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN UTAH INCLUDING THE BEAR RIVER RANGE, WESTERN UINTAS, AND ALL THE WASATCH RANGE...THE OGDEN, PROVO, SALT LAKE AND PARK CITY AREA MOUNTAINS.

* AVALANCHE DANGER…THE AVALANCHE DANGER FOR THE WARNING AREA IS HIGH TODAY.

* IMPACTS…RECENT SNOW AND WIND HAS CREATED WIDESPREAD AREAS OF UNSTABLE SNOW. BOTH HUMAN TRIGGERED AND NATURAL AVALANCHES ARE LIKELY. STAY OFF OF AND OUT FROM UNDER SLOPES STEEPER THAN 30 DEGREES. AVALANCHES CAN BE TRIGGERED REMOTELY FROM A DISTANCE AND FROM BELOW.

THIS WARNING DOES NOT APPLY TO SKI AREAS WHERE AVALANCHE HAZARD REDUCTION MEASURES ARE PERFORMED.

Special Announcements

Alta Ski Area is now open in the Supreme area. Alta is preforming avalanche work in this terrain. The area is closed to backcountry use.

The Park City ski resort is doing control work in preparation for opening in Jupiter, McConkey's, 9990 and Condor areas. These areas are closed to backcountry use.

We're excited to introduce for the 2017/2018 winter the Utah Avalanche Center podcast, hosted by forecaster Drew Hardesty and produced by KUER's Benjamin Bombard. The podcast will include engaging stories, interviews, and lessons learned - all things avalanche to help keep people on top of the snow instead of buried beneath it - and easily found on iTunes, Stitcher, the UAC blog, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Weather and Snow

A warm storm moved in overnight, and snow is still falling in the mountains. With the warm temperatures, snow densities are about 10%. Snow totals:

  • Ogden area mountains – 4 to 6”
  • Park City side – 2 to 7”
  • Cottonwooods – 6 to 9”
  • Provo area mountains – 4 to 9”

Temperatures are 15 to 20 degrees warmer than they were yesterday morning – in the teens to upper 20s. Winds are westerly – anywhere from southwest to northwest, averaging 10 to 20 mph at the mid elevations, and 25 to 35 mph across the high peaks, with gusts to 50 mph.

Recent Avalanches

Early morning reports include avalanches 1½ feet deep being triggered by snow cats at 8,500’. Yesterday, avalanche activity included a slide triggered remotely on the Park City ridge line by a backcountry skier, 15” deep and 150 feet wide and numerous slides from explosive control work, both new snow and some breaking into the deeper weak, faceted layers. Several patrollers were caught and carried, and we’re glad to report all uninjured. Here is a link to all the observations from yesterday. All observations.

Left: Scotts Bowl, remotely triggered by a backcountry skier. Right: Twin Lakes Pass avalanche from December 23rd


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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

Collapsing, cracking and avalanches. All bulls eye clues that the snow is dangerously unstable. When experienced people get caught in avalanches, you know it’s hazardous and unpredictable out there.

With two storms this week, the avalanche starting zones are now more connected – and slides today will be wider and deeper. There are an alarming number of weak, faceted layers in the snowpack – variable from slope to slope, any of which could fail. Avoid all travel on, below and adjacent to steep slopes facing west through southeast.

Avalanche Problem #2
New Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

The new, overnight dense snow will be easy to trigger steep slopes, both wind loaded and wind sheltered. The light, low-density snow that was on the surface yesterday will be the weak layer. Cracking, collapsing and punchy, dense “upside down” snow are all indicators of this avalanche problem. A slide triggered in the new snow could step down to one of the deeper weak layers, resulting in a much larger avalanche.

Additional Information

South of I-80, light snow will continue this morning, with another 1 to 3” possible. Temperatures will warm to near freezing at the mid elevations, and into the 20s along the high ridge lines. The westerly winds will average 10 to 20 mph, stronger at the higher elevations, where averages 30 to 40 mph, with gusts to 50 are possible. Mostly sunny tomorrow, with temperatures again warming into the 20s.

General Announcements

FOR MORE GENERAL INFORMATION AND FAQ, CLICK HERE

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

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