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Forecast for the Ogden Area Mountains

Evelyn Lees
Issued by Evelyn Lees on
Wednesday morning, March 19, 2014

The AVALANCHE DANGER is mostly LOW early this morning, with a MODERATE DANGER on steep north through easterly facing slopes for old wind drifts from Monday and any new wind drifts that form today. The avalanche danger will rise to MODERATE for wet slides as the day heats up.

Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Special Announcements

SALE! on all remaining discount lift tickets donated to the Utah Avalanche Center from Beaver Mountain, Wolf Mountain, Sundance, and Brian Head: The few remaining tickets are being blown out with all proceeds used to pay for avalanche advisories and education. Go here to get your tickets.

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Free Utah Adventure Journal Speaker Series: March 20 at 6pm: DENNIS TURVILLE: History, first decent stories and modern impacts-A History of Canyoneering at the Wildflower Lounge at Snowbird with a raffle to benefit the Utah Avalanche Center. 21+

Weather and Snow

It’s a cold, crisp morning with amazingly calm winds. Temperatures at all elevations in the Ogden area mountains are in the low to upper-teens, and the northwesterly winds are barely a whisper – averaging 10 mph or less at almost all stations. A mostly cloudy day Tuesday protected the majority of the powder from Monday night’s “right side up” storm – dense, wind-blown snow capped off with light powder. Storm totals from Monday night were about a foot along the high ridges of upper Little Cottonwood, with 5-8” in Big Cottonwood, on the Park City side and in the Ogden area mountains. Provo was a bit too far south, and received only an inch.

Recent Avalanches

Yesterday’s reports from the backcountry and resorts were of mostly stable snow, with a few minor sluffs and shallow soft slabs being triggered. However, the outlier was reports of large collapses and poor structure on some upper elevation, east facing slopes, especially on Cardiac Ridge in Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Salt Lake area mountains.

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

We have had no reports of this layering in the Ogden area mountains, however, it's worth being aware of. The strong Monday winds left behind a shallow wind slab early in the storm, subsequently buried beneath the light powder. This buried wind slab (crust) is collapsing on the old snow beneath. While this poor structure was also noted on northerly facing slopes, most of the reports of collapsing were confined to easterly facing slopes. While no slides were triggered on this layer, it is definitely suspect on steep slopes. mark White photos below - quick pit hand pit showing failure below wind slab; grauple weak layer; wind slab.

A second set of wind slabs may be created today as the winds pick up slightly this afternoon, and drift the light powder. These soft new drifts will be primarily confined to the higher ridge lines.

And a final wind created issue – sensitive cornices. It was easy to get big chunks of cornice to fail yesterday, and cornices often have a habit of breaking back further than one would expect.

Avalanche Problem #2
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

Temperatures will take a huge jump today, and combined with strong sun, wet sluffs are expected on first on east facing slopes, then south, then west to northwest facing slopes.

  • The steeper the slope, the more rapidly it will heat.
  • The deeper the new snow, the larger the slides.
  • Slopes with slick crusts beneath the new snow may allow for larger and longer running wet slides.

It is basically an avoidance issue - as the snow becomes damp today, get off of and out from under steep slopes fast! Switch to another, cooler aspect, lower angle slopes, or head home for the day.

Additional Information

With high pressure in firm control, there will be abundant sunshine and unusually light winds today. Temperatures along the high ridgelines’ will rapidly warm into the mid-20s by this afternoon, and into the mid-30s at 8,000’. The northwesterly winds will shift to the southwest, and increase slightly by this afternoon – to 20 mph averages, with gusts to 30 along the highest ridgelines.

It’s a mostly quiet weather week ahead, with a dry cold front crossing the area on Thursday evening, and another weak front around Saturday.

General Announcements

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 or Instagram.

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)

Snowbasin Resort Dispatch (801-620-1017), Powder Mountain Dispatch (801-745-3772 x 123).

Sundance Dispatch (801-223-4150)

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DAWN PATROL Hotline updated daily by 5-530am - 888-999-4019 option 8.

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UDOT canyon closures: LINK TO UDOT

Utah Avalanche Center mobile app - Get your advisory on your iPhone along with great navigation and rescue tools.uned.

Wasatch Powderbird Guides Blog/Itinerary for the Day.

Lost or Found something in the backcountry? - http://nolofo.com/

Ski Utah mobile snow updates

Discount lift tickets are now available at Backcountry.com - Thanks to Ski Utah and the Utah Resorts. All proceeds go towards paying for Utah Avalanche Center avalanche and mountain weather advisories.

To those skinning uphill at resorts: it is your responsibility to know the resort policy on uphill travel. Some allow uphill travel and have guidelines, some don't. Contact the Ski Patrol at each resort for details. IMPORTANT: Before skinning at a resort under new snow conditions, check in with Ski Patrol. Resorts can restrict or cut off access if incompatible with control and grooming operations.

Benefit the Utah Avalanche Center when you shop from Backcountry.com or REI: Click this link for Backcountry.com or this link to REI, shop, and they will donate a percent of your purchase price to the UAC. Both offer free shipping (with some conditions) so this costs you nothing!

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This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done. This advisory is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always exist.

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