Heading out early? We record the Dawn Patrol Hotline (888-999-4019 option 6) by about 5-5:30am each morning with a quick summary of weather, recent avalanche activity, and the general avalanche hazard for the day.
Spring Equinox. But you, the migrating birds, the snowpack, and my magnolia tree already knew that.
Skies are partly cloudy-trending mostly cloudy. Mountain temps are in the upper teens to low 20s.
The southeast winds stole the show, however, and are blowing 25-30mph with gusts to 40.
Variable snow conditions exist with newly wind damaged soft settled recrystallized powder on the steep northerly aspects with a wide window of supportable spring corn-like conditions on the southerly slopes.
For today, we'll see increasing clouds, moderate southeasterly winds, and mountain temps warming into the low 30s along the upper ridgelines and the mid-40s at the base areas and trailheads. A couple of loosely organized storms are on the doorstep and while it appears the bulk of the energy will affect central and southern Utah, the spillover could add up to a foot or more by late weekend. "Tranquil days" is how one snow safety professional described it yesterday.
Avalanche activity involved only a couple small wet point release avalanches with sun and daytime warming.
