UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Forecast for the Skyline Area Mountains

Brett Kobernik
Issued by Brett Kobernik for
Friday, November 23, 2018
Today we have a MODERATE avalanche danger in terrain that faces northwest through northeast above about 9700' in elevation. Shallow human triggered avalanches are possible. Terrain outside of the described terrain will have a LOW avalanche danger because there is no old weak snow present from October.
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Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Weather and Snow
The first part of the winter storm moved through on Thanksgiving. It produced 5 inches of snow containing .5 inches of water. Low temperatures in the last 24 hours were in the low 20s. Westerly winds only gusted to 21 miles per hour along the central Skyline near Ephraim Canyon but there were gusts up into the low 50s at Monument Peak near Electric Lake.
The next portion of the storm is still on track for tonight into Saturday. We should see a good shot of snow with VERY windy conditions. Snowfall should start this evening during a warm front and ramp up overnight. The cold front will move through Saturday mid or late morning and snowfall will taper off in the afternoon. Snow levels should start out at around 7000' and drop Saturday. I'm expecting 9 to 16 inches of snow from this part of the storm. Wind will be strong from the west veering more northwest with the frontal passage. We'll see a break Sunday, Monday and Tuesday then a disturbance mid week that might give us a little snow. Another storm system is shaping up for the following weekend.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
There really isn't enough snow to do any winter recreating aside from hiking through the snow. However, if you are getting into the mountains and are up in the higher terrain, there is a chance that you might be able to trigger a shallow soft slab avalanche. The reason for this is there is 6 to 14" of old snow from October on north facing terrain above 9700' that has been sitting around and turning into a very loose layer of snow. Now that we are stacking new snow on top of that old weak snow, the old snow is prone to collapsing and causing an avalanche. Places to be cautious are areas above about 9700' or so that face northwest, north and northeast where the old pre-existing snow is present AND there is 4 to 6 inches of new snow. Be especially cautious if you notice that the new snow has been drifted by the wind. It will feel "thick" or perhaps have a "wind crust" on the surface rather than feeling like fluffy powder snow.
Additional Information
We are very proud to introduce our new website for the 2018-19 winter season. This will provide an easier and cleaner way to view all of the snow and avalanche information that you've come to rely on. We are quite happy with how the new website performs on mobile devices as well. We think you'll find the desktop or laptop experience pleasant as well. We are still tying up some loose ends so bear with us.
LINK TO VIDEO CONTAINING INFO ABOUT NEW WEBSITE