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Forecast for the Salt Lake Area Mountains

Nikki Champion
Issued by Nikki Champion on
Saturday morning, March 7, 2020
The avalanche danger is LOW. The two things to watch for today are (2) small, loose wet avalanches will be possible on aspects facing east, south, and west, as well as low and mid-elevation northerly slopes, especially mid-day with peak temperatures (2) small pockets of fresh wind drifts may be found along upper elevation ridges.
With a LOW danger, it is reasonable to venture into more radical terrain, but always consider the consequences of an avalanche. Even a very small avalanche can be deadly in certain terrain.
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Weather and Snow
This morning, skies are partly cloudy and temperatures are in the mid-30s F at trailheads and upper-20s F at ridgelines. Winds are southwesterly averaging 15-25 mph at most elevations, with gusts up to 35 mph. At 11,000 feet, winds are averaging in the mid-teens with gusts up to 45 mph.
Today, skies will be mostly cloudy and temperatures will rise into the upper 40s at trailheads and upper 30s at ridgelines. Cloud cover will continue to increase throughout the day, and southwesterly winds will increase as well. The winds will average 20-30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph at mid-elevations and gusts up to 65 mph at 11,000 feet.
Tonight, a rather weak weather system will move through the area and could bring 3-6 inches of snow to the central Wasatch.
Recent Avalanches
A few small wet-loose avalanches reported in the backcountry yesterday.
Our Week in Review - where we summarize snow, weather, and avalanche activity over the past week, is available HERE.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Normal Caution
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Location
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Today, the overall avalanche danger is LOW. This means that human-triggered avalanches are unlikely, but small avalanches in isolated areas are possible.
Today I would watch for:
1. Wet snow - Last night there was another poor overnight freeze. The increased cloud cover and winds should keep the snow surface cooler but as the day heats up and the snow gets wet, you should be able to trigger small loose wet avalanches. These usually start at your feet and fan out below you. HOWEVER, watch out for these slides happening naturally especially if you are in a gully or any confined terrain where a small one could pile up deeply. Look for signs of wet snow like rollerballs.
2. Wind drifted snow - Increased winds from the southwest yesterday into this morning may have transported some lingering dry snow and created small pockets of recent-wind drifted snow in isolated terrain features, such as ridgelines and cross-loaded gullies. Avoid terrain features with obvious signs of wind-drifted snow.
Continue to maintain safe travel habits; this means exposing one person at a time to avalanche terrain and having someone watch them from a safe location.
General Announcements
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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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