Forecast for the Skyline Area Mountains

Brett Kobernik
Issued by Brett Kobernik for
Friday, December 2, 2022
INCREASING AVALANCHE DANGER!
The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE today. Strong wind, new snow and a buried weak layer all point to avalanches. Natural and human triggered avalanches are possible today.
Avoid being on or below slopes steeper than 30˚.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
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Special Announcements
Join the Utah Avalanche Center and the Division of Outdoor Recreation to celebrate the Fourth Annual Avalanche Awareness week, from December 4 - December 11. CLICK HERE to view the full list of events for the week.
Weather and Snow
Current Conditions: Snowfall just started at 5am this morning and as of 7am there are 2 to 3 inches of new snow. We've had a spike in wind speed this morning with VERY strong speeds from the southwest. Temperatures remained warm overnight with readings in the mid to upper 20s.
Mountain Weather: It'll be a quick hitting storm with snowfall tapering off during the morning. Totals should be around 4 to 6 inches. Temperatures will continue to fall into the teens. Wind will shift northwest and slow dramatically by mid day. It looks like we should get another shot of snow late Saturday into Sunday, perhaps another 4 to 6 inches. The weather pattern looks active through the long term with a number of storms possible.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Weak sugary faceted snow formed on the surface during the two week dry spell in November. That snow was buried earlier this week. There were small natural and human triggered avalanches. I experienced cracking and collapsing each day I was out in the backcountry this week. As we add more snow, conditions will become more dangerous. It has not hit the fan yet but I have little doubt that it will at some point. Each storm will make the avalanches bigger.
It is definitely not time to try to get into any steep terrain. This buried Persistent Weak Layer could be with us and cause avalanche problems for some time. Continue to play it cautious by staying on slopes of 30˚ in steepness or less and make sure there aren't steep slopes above you.
General Announcements
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.