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Forecast for the Provo Area Mountains

Evelyn Lees
Issued by Evelyn Lees for
Thursday, April 4, 2013

The avalanche danger will rapidly rise to MODERATE with sun and daytime heating. Stay off of and out from under steep snow covered slopes of all aspects and elevations. Start early and finish early - exit the mountains before the snow gets punchy or too wet and sloppy.

Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements

Drew Hardesty has been working with UDOT and other agencies on proposed avalanche information signage at the base of the Cottonwood Canyons and perhaps other highways heading to popular trailheads. We are looking for a little more public feedback on our two 'yes/no question' survey. CLICK HERE FOR THE SURVEY

Gabe Garcia is doing a study on an unusual day that occurred in upper Little Cottonwood on Nov 13, 2012 involving numerous human triggered avalanches with injuries and a fatality. SURVEY

Weather and Snow

Intermittent bands of high thin clouds moved across Utah overnight, keeping mountain temperatures warm. Most stations failed to dip below freezing, and are in the low to mid 30s this morning. In the Ogden area mountains and much of the terrain around the 8,000’ elevation, temperatures are even warmer, in the upper 30s to low 40s. The southwesterly winds are currently light, averaging less than 5 mph at most locations, with the highest peaks averaging in the 10 to 15 mph range.

The surface snow got at least damp, if not totally soggy, yesterday on just about every aspect and elevation. Breakable crusts will be widespread this morning, rapidly warming to the consistency of mashed potatoes. The most supportable snow may be on steeper southerly facing slopes, though the window will be brief.

Recent Avalanches

Yesterday’s only remarkable avalanche was a glide crack that released off of the west facing rock slabs in Stairs Gulch, Big Cottonwood Canyon. It started at about 8,300’, and ran about 2,000’ vertical feet into the gully bottom. Other than that, it was swarms of roller balls and a few wet sluffs.

Swarms of roller balls - Tom Diegel photo

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Avalanche Problem #1
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

Once again, wet snow avalanches are the concern. It will be a tug-of-war today, with the poor overnight refreeze, daytime sun and heating trying to warm the snow versus the cooling effect of the increasing clouds and wind. The best tip for avoiding getting involved in a wet avalanche - Start Early and Finish Early. Make sure you have a low angle exit plan that avoids gullies and steep slopes.

Signs that you have overstayed your welcome -

  • The snow surface becomes unsupportable, with punchy snow, breakable or bendy crusts.
  • You are sinking into the wet, slushy snow.
  • Roller balls are easy to initiate - be especially concerned if they fan out into sluffs.
  • Any sort of natural avalanche activity, including sluffs and roller balls

Continue to avoid:

  • Travel beneath glide cracks, which could release at any time.
  • Travel on or beneath cornices
  • Pockets of shallow snow around rocks, on high northerly facing slopes, that still harbor weak snow. In these places where you can still punch your pole through the snowpack, it is possible to release a slab avalanche failing on damp facets.
Additional Information

High pressure will bring another toasty day, with 8,000’ temperatures warming into the mid-50s. This morning’s high, thin clouds will thicken this afternoon, and the southwesterly winds will gradually increase, into the 15 to 25 mph range, gusting into the 30s across the highest peaks. A weak cold front will cross the area late tonight or early Friday morning, with 2 to 4” of dense snow possible, and the snow line lowering to around 7,000’. An unsettled weather pattern will continue through the weekend, as weak imbedded disturbances in a moist westerly flow, will bring chances for occasional light snow Saturday and Sunday. Cooler, wetter weather is forecast for Monday through Tuesday as the main trough moves inland.

General Announcements

Go to http://www.backcountry.com/utah-avalanche-center to get EVEN MORE DISCOUNTED tickets from our partners at Beaver Mountain and Sundance. 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 (801-745-3772 ex 123)

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

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

Twitter Updates for your mobile phone - DETAILS

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

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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