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Forecast for the Salt Lake Area Mountains

Trent Meisenheimer
Issued by Trent Meisenheimer on
Tuesday morning, December 7, 2021
For today we have a LOW avalanche danger throughout the mountains of Northern Utah. A LOW avalanche danger means that we generally have safe avalanche conditions. Watch for and avoid unstable snow on isolated terrain features.
As always, carry a transceiver, probe, shovel, and have a partner when in the backcountry. Practice safe travel protocol by only exposing one person at a time to avalanche terrain.
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Special Announcements
This week is the third annual avalanche awareness week here in Utah. There is a lot going on with over 20 different events around the state. You can find all the events HERE.
Weather and Snow
Under cloudy skies, the current mountain temperatures are in the low 20's F° across the range. Winds decreased overnight and are now blowing from the north-west at speeds of 5-10 mph across the upper elevation ridges.
Today, temperatures will climb into the low 30's F° at about 9,000 feet in elevation. Winds will remain calm with speeds in the 5-10 mph range, and clouds will eventually give way to clear skies later this afternoon.
Unfortunately, the past 12 days of no new snow have made the riding and turning conditions pretty heinous. Still, one with a strong will can find soft snow in the most wind and sun-protected terrain; otherwise, it's crusts, dirt, and rocks.
The next storm looks to be on track so stay tuned on this one... Hoping for 14"-28" of new snow.
Recent Avalanches
No new avalanches have been reported from the backcountry. However, two recent avalanche accidents have led to tragedy in both Canada and Austria.
Catch up on the recent observations found HERE.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Normal Caution
Type
Location
Likelihood
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Description
For today and tomorrow, keep an eye out for isolated shallow drifts of wind-blown snow. Watch for and avoid areas with stiff hollow sounding snow.
HEADS UP: Over the past two weeks, clear and cold nights have subjected our shallow snowpack to a wide variety of temperatures causing it to weaken and become faceted. This weak sugary snow will become an issue once loaded with new storm snow.
This faceted snow lives on slopes where the old snow from October and November hasn't been able to melt. Look at the photo below; the southerly facing terrain is bare dirt and will pose no threat of avalanches once it snows. Since October, the northerly facing terrain has held snow, becoming a weak layer. Once we load these slopes with new storm snow (slab), they will avalanche. Weak layer + Slab = Avalanche
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