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Blog: Jan 20-27 Weekly Summary

Mark Staples
Director, Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center

Week in Review by Greg Gagne

Wow. A prolonged period of storms began late in the day on Friday Jan 20th, with an overachieving storm on Saturday the 21st with numerous human-triggered as well as natural avalanches occurring over the weekend. (Mark Staples described the activity of the weekend of Jan 21/22.)

Strong winds and heavy snowfall led to an avalanche warning issued by the UAC on Monday and Tuesday January 23/24 for the mountains of northern Utah. Little Cottonwood Canyon was closed beginning on Monday morning due to dangerous avalanche activity, and did not re-open until later Tuesday morning. Results from highway control work on several mountain roads in northern Utah produced large avalanches, with many hitting the road. A couple of Wasatch veterans reminded me that this is how "it used to be."

Throughout this extended period numerous natural and human triggered avalanches were reported on a variety of aspects and elevations, with several avalanches occurring at low elevations (< 9000'). Weaknesses included wind drifts, density changes within storm snow events, and persistent weak layers that formed during the spell of clear and cold weather from Jan 13 - 18, including both near-surface facets and surface hoar. Your pre-trip preparations should include reading field observations as well as recent avalanche activityfrom this past week. Bottom line - it was snowing and blowing for over a week, with storm snow falling on top of a weak, pre-existing snow surface at the mid and lower elevations, and it has led to a variable and complex snowpack.

Approximate storm and water totals since Jan 20 include:

LCC/BCC 80" of snow (5.7" of snow water equivalent) Park City 44" of snow (3.5" of snow water equivalent) Ogden 50" of snow (2.5" - 3.5" of snow water equivalent) Provo 24" of snow (2" of snow water equivalent)