SAVE THE DATE and TAKE A DATE-
Grab your riding posse and sign up for the 15th Annual
Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop (USAW). It's two nights of solid avy education, delivered by a remarkable group of presenters, all delivered virtually to the comfort of your own home... November 2nd and 9th. Sign up and get more info for the
first session HERE and the
second session HERE.
The
Avalanche Professional and Ski Patrol Snow and Avalanche Workshop (PROSAW) will be during the day of November 7th. Sign up and get more info
HERE.
Additional Training Opportunities-
It's never to early to start thinking about avalanches. A few things to consider doing:
Attend USAW and learn more about avalanches and decision making.
Sign up for an avalanche class.
Take the
online courses listed on the KBYG website (Develop skills -> Online Learning).
Get your avalanche rescue gear ready for winter. Put fresh batteries in your transceiver and update the firmware. Inspect your shovel and probe. Get your airbag backpack ready by possibly doing a test deployment and update the firmware if it is an electric version.
Pastcast- A nice shot of snow developed midmorning Wednesday, quickly stacking up 6"-8" across the range. West and southwest winds were busy at work blowing in the 30's, forming fresh, sensitive drifts that have settled out nicely and probably won't be quite as reactive to our additional weight today.
Forecast- A thin band of clouds drifts over the region early this morning, keeping a lid on overnight low temperatures which hover in the teens and upper 20's. Winds are light and southerly, blowing just 5-10 mph even along the high peaks. A nice weekend is on tap with skies clearing as the day progresses, light winds, and temperatures climbing into the upper 30's.
Furturecast- Expect a lull in the action through Tuesday, with a good looking storm lining up to crash into the mountains late Wednesday. I'll keep you updated as details get sifted through.
Current snow depths in upper elevation terrain average just about a foot in depth. A bit vertically challenged, but the pack's got encouraging structure and solid body, which is a good look for this time of year.
Not exactly living up to its rugged reputation, a 24 hour data dump from Windy Peak (10,662'), reveals winds hardly spinning anemometer propellors... blowing just 5-10 mph along the high ridges.
There's barely enough snow to move around on, but early season roadside attractions like Murdock Bowl off the Mirror Lake Highway or Wolf Creek Bowl along Highway 35 and Wolf Creek Pass are easy grabs... right? Of course they are... that's what makes them so appealing! Even though it might not seem like there's enough snow to avalanche, today you'll want to avoid any steep, wind drifted slope. And remember- even a small wind drift packs enough punch to knock you off your feet and may result in a season ending injury if you slam into a stump, rock, or deadfall barely hidden under the shallow snow.
No recent avy activity to report
