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Forecast for the Provo Area Mountains

Evelyn Lees
Issued by Evelyn Lees for
Saturday, January 26, 2013

There is a MODERATE danger for wet slides below about 8,500’ on and beneath steep, northerly facing slopes. Wet loose sluffs can be triggered on steep slopes; a few natural avalanches are possible. Avoid creek beds, ravines, steep road banks and gullies. Most ice climbs are in avalanche paths.

The avalanche danger is also MODERATE on steep northwest through easterly facing slopes above about 9,000’. Human triggered avalanches are possible.

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Weather and Snow

Skies are mostly clear in the mountains this morning, which has helped to cool the temperatures. In the Provo area mountains, temperatures are generally in the upper 20’s, though a few 8,000’ stations right near the freezing mark. The winds are from the southwest, averaging in the 5 to 15 mph range. The highest peaks are gusting in the 20s.

This week’s 2 to 6 inches of dense snow improved the turning, riding and snowshoeing conditions at the upper elevations.

Recent Avalanches

Wet loose natural avalanches continued yesterday in steep, northerly facing gullied terrain, below about 8,500', in both the Provo area mountains and in Little Cottonwood. The Provo ice climb The Fang and Rock Canyon both had significant slides, and several naturals were observed in lower Little Cottonwood, including near the Great White Icicle.

Both cracking and collapsing were reported on northerly facing slopes, failing just beneath the new snow.

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Avalanche Problem #1
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

The initial shock of the warm temperatures at the mid and lower elevations is losing its impact, and the widespread natural wet avalanche cycle is probably over. However, wet sluffs will still be easy to trigger in the soggy snow on steep, shady slopes at the low and mid elevations. And with multiple warm days in a row, erratic naturals will continue, especially in the Provo area mountains.

These wet slides have cement like debris, possibly mixed with rock and ice, and all it takes is one. Avoid all gullies and creek beds below about 8,500’, and avoid avalanche run outs by knowing what is above you. Think about the low elevation terrain you travel though at the beginning and end of you backcountry trip.

Snow and ice will continue to slide off of roofs at the mid and low elevations into dangerous, deep piles.

Bowman Trail - Wet slide with some old timber came about three meters of the summer trail. Debris filled the gulley

Avalanche Problem #2
New Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

Cracking and collapsing indicate the buried, sugary facets that formed in January are getting cranky, and close to being overloaded. The damp snow has efficiently made a dense slab above the facets. It’s quite a tricky pattern at the upper elevations, with the new snow sitting on hard, stronger wind slabs near the ridgelines, but on weaker facets mid slope and in shallow snowpack areas. There is a possibility of triggering a new snow slide mid slope, at a break over, or in a shallow snowpack area, above about 9,000’, on steep northwest through easterly facing slopes.

Additional Information

A moist, mild southwest flow will be over the area today and tonight, with mountain temperatures warming today into the upper 30s at 8000’ and the upper 20s at 10,000’. The southwesterly winds will remain light, generally averaging less than 15 mph. Skies will become partly to mostly cloudy, and a few light snow showers are possible.

On Sunday, the southwesterly winds will increase ahead of a storm system that will bring a decent shot of snow Sunday night into Monday. General amounts of 8 to 12” are expected, with locally higher amounts for areas favored by northwest flow.

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.

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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 by submitting snow and avalanche conditions. You can also call us at 801-524-5304 or 800-662-4140, or email by clicking HERE

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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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