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Forecast for the Provo Area Mountains

Brett Kobernik
Issued by Brett Kobernik for
Thursday, January 17, 2013

A MODERATE avalanche danger exists for triggering both recent wind drifts on southerly slopes and an avalanche that breaks into older faceted snow on the more northerly aspects. Steep upper elevation southerly facing starting zones are suspect. Areas with weak snow under more than about a foot of newer snow also make me nervous.

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High
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Special Announcements

UDOT will restrict traffic in the Hellgate-Superior section of the Lt. Cottonwood Canyon Road tomorrow 1/17/13, from 9:00 a.m. to approximately 1:30 p.m. for avalanche rescue training. Local traffic can enter and exit the area through the upper gate (Gate D) while the lower gate will remain closed.

Mike Libecki presents In Search of Virgin Vertical Earth: First Ascents in Afghanistan, Antarctica, Yemen, China, Indonesia, Venezuela, Baffin Island, and more. 6pm at the Wildflower lounge at Snowbird DETAILS

Matt Primono (recently hired UDOT Provo Canyon Avalanche Forecaster) Presents Splitboard Mountaineering in South America at Wasatch Touring at 7pm DETAILS

Weather and Snow

We have a few clouds, ridgetop temperatures in the low 20s and light to moderate winds from the north or northeast.

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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

The wind slabs will be more stubborn today. They always are 24 hours after they form. However, don't trust them especially if you're getting into committing terrain where there are serious consequences of rocks, cliffs or trees below you.

Avalanche Problem #2
New Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

The persistent slab problem will continue to relax over the next week but I would still have some thoughts about getting onto steep slopes that have a traditionally thin snowpack AND received over a foot of new snow last weekend. Dig down and feel for loose sugary type of snow grains under the newest snow. They vary in size and weakness throughout our region and are not as weak in areas that have a deep snowpack.

Additional Information

We're going to have a number of nice days in the mountains as high pressure builds in for the next week or so. We'll see light to moderate north or northeast winds today with temperatures up around 30 at 8000 feet and in the mid 20s along the ridges. The weather models are hinting at a bit of a change in about a week.

General Announcements

Go to http://www.backcountry.com/utah-avalanche-center to get tickets from our partners at Park City, Beaver Mountain, Canyons, Sundance, and Wolf Mountain. All proceeds benefit the Utah Avalanche Center.

If you trigger an avalanche in the backcountry - especially if you are adjacent to a ski area – please call the following teams to alert them to the slide and whether anyone is missing or not. Rescue teams can be exposed to significant hazard when responding to avalanches, and do not want to do so when unneeded. Thanks.

Salt Lake and Park City – Alta Central (801-742-2033), Canyons Resort Dispatch (435-615-3322)

Ogden – Snowbasin Patrol Dispatch (801-620-1017)

Powder Mountain Ski Patrol Dispatch (801-745-3773 ex 123)

Provo – Sundance Patrol Dispatch (801-223-4150)

Dawn Patrol Forecast Hotline, updated by 05:30: 888-999-4019 option 8.

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Daily observations are frequently posted by 10 pm each evening.

Subscribe to the daily avalanche advisory e-mail click HERE.

UDOT canyon closures UDOT at (801) 975-4838

Wasatch Powderbird Guides does daily updates about where they'll be operating on this blog http://powderbird.blogspot.com/ .

Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory bysubmitting snow and avalanche conditions. You can also call us at 801-524-5304 or 800-662-4140, or email by clicking HERE

Donate to your favorite non-profit –The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center. The UAC depends on contributions from users like you to support our work.

For a print version of this advisory click HERE.

This advisory is produced by the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. It describes only general avalanche conditions and local variations always exist. Specific terrain and route finding decisions should always be based on skills learned in a field-based avalanche class

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