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Forecast for the Salt Lake Area Mountains

Evelyn Lees
Issued by Evelyn Lees for
Friday, April 12, 2013

With strong sun and daytime heating, the avalanche danger will rapidly rise to MODERATE for wet avalanches on almost all snow covered slopes. It will become easy for people to trigger long running, wet loose sluffs as the snow heats. The danger of wet slides may rise to CONSIDERABLE, with natural sluffs possible if the snow heats enough. There is also a MODERATE danger of triggering a new snow slab avalanche on steep, upper elevation shady slopes, especially with drifts of wind blown snow.

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Special Announcements

No words to truly express our sorrow at the death of UDOT avalanche forecaster Craig Patterson yesterday – a friend, avalanche educator, and integral part of Utah avalanche professionals trying to unravel the mysteries of snow and avalanches, and working to keep people safe.

Craig was by himself and caught in an avalanche near Kessler Slabs, in Big Cottonwood Canyon yesterday. When he was reported missing, a search found his body on the surface of the debris. Several staff will head to the accident scene early this morning and we will create and update an accident report on line with details as we get them.

Weather and Snow

Skies cleared of the high thin clouds early this morning, allowing temperatures to finally drop below freezing at most mid and low elevation stations. The upper elevations have had a better refreeze, and are in the low to mid 20s this morning. The westerly winds are averaging less than 10 mph, except for the high peaks which have averages in the 15 to 25 mph range.

The snow is no match for the high April sun - the surface snow heated and dampened on just about every aspect and elevation yesterday, so breakable crusts will be widespread this morning. A few last remnants of dry snow may exist on steeper, high elevation northerly facing slopes.

Recent Avalanches

Early in the day, control work released winds slabs on east and northeast facing slopes with both ski cuts and explosives, and a few natural avalanches were noted. As the day heated, both skier released and natural wet avalanches occurred, on all aspects, especially at the mid and lower elevations. I estimate the fatal Kessler avalanche to be on a northeast facing slope, at approximately 9,000’.

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Avalanche Problem #1
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

The strong, high sun will rapidly heat the snow today on almost all aspects and elevations, including the northerly facing slopes. The snow surface will first become damp, then wet and slushy. Once wet sluffs start moving, they can pick up snow all the way down the slope, and run long distances with debris piles larger than one would expect. Start early and finish early today. Have an exit plan to get back to the trailhead that avoids steep slopes and terrain traps such as gullies and road banks. Natural avalanches may become possible if the snow gets hot enough.

Avalanche Problem #2
New Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

A series of small storms deposited 1 ½ to 2 feet of snow in the Salt Lake and Park City mountains this past week. The upper snowpack is now layered with dry and wet snow mixed with crusts. Anytime there is a layered snowpack, I think of slab avalanches. It may be possible for a person to trigger a slab avalanche within the newer snow, especially on high elevation northwest through easterly facing slopes, in wind drifted areas or as the snow surface heats today. A few fresh wind drifts may be deposited by today’s westerly winds along the high ridges. In very isolated places, a slide could break into the pockets of shallow weak snow, often near rocks, that still exist on upper elevation northerly facing terrain.

Additional Information

High pressure will bring clear, sunny skies, warm temperatures and light westerly winds to the mountains today. Only the highest peaks will have wind speeds averaging in the 20 to 30 mph range. Elsewhere, winds will average less than 15 mph. Temperatures will warm into the upper 20s at 10,000’ and into the low to mid 40s at 8000’.

Tonight, clouds will start to increase and Saturday will be partly cloudy, and slightly warmer with gusty southwesterly winds. A small shot of snow is possible Saturday afternoon or evening. Another stronger, colder storm will bring snow starting Sunday night or Monday.

General Announcements

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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