Ad
The National Forest Service Logo
icon-add Observation
Forecasts
Logan Ogden Salt Lake Provo Uintas Skyline Moab Abajos Weather Archives How to read the forecast
Observations & Avalanches
Submit Observation NEW - Observations Explorer All Observations Avalanches Fatalities Place Names Map Archives
Education
Avalanche Awareness Develop Skills On-Snow Courses Resources and Tutorials
Events
Store
About
Contact Who we are Core Values Staff Board of Directors Past Forecasters Sponsors Annual Reports Sign In
Blog
icon-add Observation
Donate / Join

Forecast for the Ogden Area Mountains

Evelyn Lees
Issued by Evelyn Lees for
Monday, April 8, 2013

It will be a day of increasing avalanche danger, and backcountry travelers will need to adjust to changing conditions. Strong winds drifting the new snow will increase the avalanche danger to MODERATE on all steep wind drifted slopes. These sensitive drifts will become widespread along the high ridgelines and in open bowls. The avalanche danger may increase to CONSIDERABLE overnight, during the period of strongest winds, with a natural avalanche cycle possible.

Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Weather and Snow

Under cloudy skies, light snow is just starting to fall in the mountains. Temperatures have dropped almost 10 degrees in the last few hours, and are in the mid-20s to mid-30s and still cooling. The overnight blustery southwesterly winds have temporarily decreased this morning, and are in the 5 to 15 mph range, with a few of the highest peaks averaging to 25 mph, with gusts in the 40s.

Yesterday’s silky turning and riding in a few inches of dense snow over a supportable base at the upper elevations will only improve today in wind sheltered areas, while the snow will still be damp and punchy on some of the low to mid elevations slopes.

Recent Avalanches

No avalanche activity reported from the backcountry or resorts.

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

After a brief lull this morning, the mountains will be battered by winds, first from the southwest, then switching to increasingly strong northeasterly winds by this afternoon. The sensitive wind drifts that started to develop overnight will become more widespread and deeper as snow falls and the winds increase later today. Drifts will form on a wide variety of aspects on both upper and mid elevation slopes due to the changing wind direction and high speeds. Avoid all steep, wind drifted slopes – cracking in the new snow, areas of denser snow, and deeper pillows of snow are all signs that you are in a wind drifted area.

In very isolated places, the wind drifts could overload pockets of shallow weak snow, often near rocks, on upper elevation northerly facing terrain, resulting in a deeper slide.

Avalanche Problem #2
New Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

The new snow alone may become sensitive in areas that receive 6 or more inches – triggering soft slabs may be possible on steep slopes, especially during periods of heavy, intense snowfall.

Avalanche Problem #3
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

The wet, slushy snow at the low and mid elevations will still be punchy this morning, and take a day or so to really cool. So avoid steep slopes and terrain traps such as gullies where it’s still possible to trigger a damp sluff.

Additional Information

An energetic spring storm has arrived, and periods of light snow this morning will turn to steady snow this afternoon, with 4 to 8 inches possible by evening. There is a chance of lightning today. The southwesterly winds will ramp up again this morning, into the 15 to 20 mph range, with gusts in the 30s and 40s. The winds will shift to the northeast this afternoon, and intensify tonight, with averages to 30 mph and gusts in the 50s. Snow will taper off in most areas tonight, with the exceptions of a few areas favored by easterly flow, such as parts of the Park City mountains, where snow may continue to accumulate through the night. 10,000’ temperatures will continue to slowly decrease, into the mid-20s by evening, and fall into the mid-teens by Tuesday morning.

The storm system will pull east of the area Tuesday night, with diminishing winds. A shortwave ridge will move over the area Wednesday, followed by a fast moving cold front on Thursday that should bring a small shot of snow.

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.

Next forecast >