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Forecast for the Salt Lake Area Mountains

Evelyn Lees
Issued by Evelyn Lees on
Sunday morning, March 27, 2016

The avalanche danger is LOW this morning, but will rapidly rise to MODERATE danger with daytime heating. The snow on all aspects and elevations but high north will heat and become damp, and both human triggered and natural wet loose avalanches will be possible. Avoid travel on and below steep, warming slopes.

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Weather and Snow

Under partly cloudy skies, temperatures are in the teens to upper 20s, giving the snow a good overnight refreeze; also creating “slide for life” conditions on the hard crusts. The winds have shifted to the southwest ahead of the next storm – currently in the 5 to 10 mph range, gusting in the 15 to 20 mph range. Speeds are higher in the Ogden area mountains: 20 to 35 mph averages, and gusting to near 40 mph.

Recent Avalanches

In Broad’s Fork, a glide avalanche narrowly missed 5 people in 2 parties by about 5 minutes; in Deaf Smith, a wet loose slide came down from above onto a party of 3 – one person was caught and carried, but is OK. It’s unknown if this was a natural or triggered by another party summiting Bonkers. And finally, a small soft slab avalanche was triggered in the Monitors.

Broads Fork avalanche report HERE, left photo by T Meisenheimer. Deaf Smith avalanche report HERE, photo by JM.

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Avalanche Problem #1
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

With a rapid warm up and mix of sun and clouds, wet loose sluffs will be the number one concern today. I expect the snow to heat on all slopes but upper elevation northerly facing. Damp snow, roller balls and triggering wet loose sluffs are all signs it’s time to get off and out from under the steep, heating slopes. Head to a different cooler aspect or lower angle terrain, and be aware of what’s above you - natural wet avalanches are possible today.

Avalanche Problem #2
Normal Caution
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

Wind slabs – there could still be a few isolated places where a person could trigger a wind drift along the higher ridgelines.

The heating cornices are sensitive – avoid travel beneath them, and stay back further from the edge than you think you need to.

Glide avalanche – avoid travel below glide cracks, often on slopes underlain by smooth rock slabs. This includes known areas such as Broads Fork, Mill B, and Mineral Slabs, and some of the smooth rock slabs in the Ogden area mountains.

Additional Information

Skies will be partly to mostly cloudy today, and temperatures very warm, soaring to near 50 at 8,000’ and into the upper 20s at 10,000’. The southwesterly winds will increase slightly, with averages reaching 25 mph in the high alpine, gusting to 40 mph. Overnight, the winds will really ramp up, with speeds across the high peaks averaging to 40 mph, and gusting in the 70s. Snow will begin early Monday morning as a large storm system brings periods of snow through Wednesday. Confidence is very low as to where the front will stall, so the forecast of 14 to 28 inches of snow by late Wednesday is broad for a storm total

General Announcements

Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please help us out by submitting snow and avalanche conditions. You can also call us at 801-524-5304, email by clicking HERE, or include #utavy in your tweet or Instagram.

To get help in an emergency (to request a rescue) in the Wasatch, call 911. Be prepared to give your GPS coordinates or the run name. Dispatchers have a copy of the Wasatch Backcountry Ski map.

Backcountry Emergencies. It outlines your step-by-step method in the event of a winter backcountry incident.

If you trigger an avalanche in the backcountry, but no one is hurt and you do not need assistance, please notify the nearest ski area dispatch to avoid a needless response by rescue teams. Thanks.

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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 exist.

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