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Forecast for the Ogden Area Mountains

Drew Hardesty
Issued by Drew Hardesty for
Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Pockets of MODERATE danger exists for human triggered slides 8-16"'deep on many steep wind drifted slopes. These may be most pronounced - but certainly not limited to - the steep southeast through southwest facing slopes at the mid and upper elevations with pockets littered across the slope in unusual locations. Safer and more enjoyable snow conditions can be found in the mid elevation sheltered terrain on slopes less steep than 35 degrees.

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Weather and Snow

While an east wind blows

Friend looks cancer in the eye

Magnolia tree blooms

I often like to say that nothing good comes of an east wind...but sometimes there are good things that are coincident with it. Just ask the old man in Basho's haiku. Or the Park City and Western Uinta mountains. Storm totals for the previously described "tragic" closed Low are below:

Park City and Western Uinta mountains: 16-20"

LCC/BCC: 12-14"

Ogden and Provo mountains: 5-7"

Temps are in the mid teens this morning with northerly winds in the 15-20mph range, a bit off from the 25-35mph averages with gusts into the 40s and 50s. Riding conditions are quite good in the mid-elevation sheltered terrain and best with the a moderate slope angle to avoid "bottom feeding". Still, wind scouring and drifting were general and commonplace and defied categorization and pattern...and it was noted that "The winds seemed to be coming from all directions." Many southerly and westerly aspects saw just enough sun late in the day and will hold a thin breakable crust this morning. Photos by Rice, Brackelsberg, White

Aeolian processes at work - Mark White photo - could just as easily be Navajo sandstone in the desert southwest...

Recent Avalanches

One might think - Snow, wind...garden variety wind drifts. Not so. Unusual loading patterns led to tricky conditions, with one person taking a short ride in southeast facing Toledo Bowl above Little Cottonwood Canyon. What makes this one interesting is not just the aspect (southeast), but that it was mid-slope...and caught an experienced b/c skier. (Typically when these conditions exist, best to take another step back.) Falk photo below (note scalloping wind effect). And below - cracking (Andy Rich) and activity (Englehard).

we heard of no avalanching in the Provo mountains yesterday, but likely wind slabs were commonplace up high....photos below from the central Wasatch.

Most out yesterday reported plenty of cracking (some up to 60' wide propagation) and wind slab development. Classic red flag. (Andy Rich photo below)

Pic below off Clayton Peak into Lackawaxen (Englehard)

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

ALL ASPECTS ARE SUSPECT: Reported aspects for avalanche activity included northeast, east, southeast, south, and southwest...though if headed out today, I'd assume all aspects to be guilty until proven otherwise.

HIGH ON THE SLOPE AND MID-SLOPE ARE EQUALLY SUSPECT - The strong winds were able to load areas both just off the ridgeline...and well off the ridgeline. This is due to both strength of wind as well as its ability to side or cross-load into the lee of sub-ridges, roll-overs, or any other spot that acts as a deceleration zone. Regardless, they should be less sensitive than yesterday but still identifiable as smooth, rounded, or otherwise wind affected.

Avalanche Problem #2
Cornice
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

Cornices will be found along many ridgelines and overhanging westerly aspects as well as the typically easterly facing ones and may calve off upon approach. Give them a wide berth and remember that cornice failure may then trigger a wind slab below.

Avalanche Problem #3
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

Impossible to not mention the effects of the high April sun particularly after a cold winter storm. While a cool northerly breeze and cool temps ( teens to mid-20s) will be mitigating factors, direct solar radiation will still

  • Produce wet rollerballs and sluffing in steep wind sheltered terrain and
  • Potentially keep wind slabs reactive to human triggering; these may take another day or two to fully heal.

Note - most low elevation sunny aspects have melted out -

Additional Information

We'll have mostly sunny skies today that'll become partly cloudy ahead of another quick hitting storm slated for tomorrow. Temps will be in the low 20s at 10,000' and the low 30s at 8000'. Winds will be northerly at 20mph. Tomorrow's storm should be good for another 2-5" followed by clearing through the first part of the weekend. Unsettled weather kicks back in Sunday through at least mid-week.

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.

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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 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.

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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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