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Forecast for the Salt Lake Area Mountains

Evelyn Lees
Issued by Evelyn Lees on
Monday morning, April 10, 2017

It’s a predictable spring pattern – the Avalanche Danger is mostly LOW this morning, with possibility of triggering a few storm snow soft slabs at the upper elevations.

The avalanche danger will increase to CONSIDERABLE with daytime heating. Both natural and human triggered wet loose sluffs almost certain today on steep slopes. The snow on north facing slopes may also heat during periods of high thin clouds.

Start early and finish early, and avoid travel on and beneath steep slopes and gullies as the snow heats up.

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Weather and Snow

Under clear skies, mountain temperatures dropped into the teens and low 20s. Winds are backing to the southwest, and light – averaging 5 to 10 mph.

Yesterday’s predominantly cloudy skies preserved the excellent powder on most northerly and easterly facing slopes.

Recent Avalanches

Backcountry avalanche activity yesterday was new snow only, soft slabs up to about 80’ wide. A few slides failed on graupel above the crust, up to 20” deep, with most releasing on a density inversion with in the new snow, about 6” down. Resorts had similar, but slightly larger slides breaking up to 2 feet deep, triggered with ski cuts and explosives, mostly in wind exposed terrain.

Left: Snake Creek, Andy Nassetta photo Right: Cardiff Bowl, Mark White photo

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Avalanche Problem #1
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

With clear skies, warming temperatures and ferocious spring sun, the danger of wet loose slides will predictably jump today as the snow heats.

Heating happens fast this time of year, with the snow changing in a matter of minutes, not hours. Roller balls and small wet loose sluffs mean it’s time to rapidly get off of and out from under steep slopes. Head to lower angle terrain or a cooler aspect. Natural wet loose sluffs will occur today, so also avoid travel below steep slopes and gullies of all aspects. The wet loose slides will entrain snow as they run on the pre storm ice crusts, and will run further and have larger debris pile than expected.

High thin clouds are predicted for this afternoon, which could heat the snow on the shady slopes later in the day, often called “green housing”.

Avalanche Problem #2
New Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

New snow instabilities stabilize rapidly this time of year. There will only be few places that the storm snow can still be triggered today – on an upper elevation, wind drifted slope or where graupel pooled beneath a cliff band or gully.

Cornices: continue to stay well back from the edges of the huge cornices along the ridge lines and avoid travel beneath them. It’s very hard to realize how overhung they are.

Additional Information

A beautiful spring day with clear skies this morning, light southwesterly winds and temperatures warming into the low 40s at 8,000’ and to near 30 at 10,000’. High thin clouds may move in this afternoon. Tuesday will be even warmer, with increasing clouds and a slight chance of afternoon and evening showers.

The southerly winds and temperatures will increase on Wednesday and Thursday ahead of a Thursday evening cold front. Cooler temperatures and a chance of snow will continue into Friday.

General Announcements

Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please help us out by submitting snow and avalanche conditions. You can also call us at 801-524-5304, email by clicking HERE, or include #utavy in your tweet or Instagram.

To get help in an emergency (to request a rescue) in the Wasatch, call 911. Be prepared to give your GPS coordinates or the run name. Dispatchers have a copy of the Wasatch Backcountry Ski map.

Backcountry Emergencies. It outlines your step-by-step method in the event of a winter backcountry incident.

If you trigger an avalanche in the backcountry, but no one is hurt and you do not need assistance, please notify the nearest ski area dispatch to avoid a needless response by rescue teams. Thanks.

EMAIL ADVISORY If you would like to get the daily advisory by email you will need to subscribe here.

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

TWITTER Updates for your mobile phone - DETAILS

UDOT canyon closures: LINK TO UDOT, or on Twitter, follow @UDOTavy, @CanyonAlerts or @AltaCentral

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

Powderbird Helicopter Skiing - Blog/itinerary for the day

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

Ski Utah mobile snow updates

To those skinning uphill at resorts: it is critical to know the resort policy on uphill travel. You can see the uphill travel policy for each resort here.

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 occur

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