Ad
The National Forest Service Logo
icon-add Observation
Forecasts
Logan Ogden Salt Lake Provo Uintas Skyline Moab Abajos Weather Archives How to read the forecast
Observations & Avalanches
Submit Observation Observations Explorer All Observations Avalanches Fatalities Weather Place Names Map Archives
Education
Avalanche Class List UAC Class List Online Classes Resources and Tutorials Avalanche Awareness Develop Skills
Events
Store
About
Contact Who we are Core Values Staff Board of Directors Past Forecasters Sponsors Annual Reports Sign In
Blog
icon-add Observation
Donate / Join

Forecast for the Ogden Area Mountains

Evelyn Lees
Issued by Evelyn Lees on
Sunday morning, April 1, 2018

The avalanche danger is generally LOW this morning, but will rise to MODERATE with daytime heating. Wet loose sluffs will become easy to trigger on steep slopes when the snow heats. Early starts and early finishes is the springtime mantra.

In steep, upper elevation northerly through easterly facing slopes, shallow wind drifts can be triggered in very isolated places and there remains a very slight chance of triggering a deep slab avalanche. Slopes that are rocky or shallower snow pack, especially terrain that avalanched one or more times this winter, are most suspect

Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements

The newest issue of the Powder Cloud, the newsletter of the Utah Avalanche Center, is hot off the digital presses. You can look at new and old issues of the Powder Cloud, other essays, and blogs in the menu above or click here.

The UAC Marketplace is still open. Our online marketplace still has deals on skis, packs, airbag packs, beacons, snowshoes, soft goods and much more.

We have lift tickets for Snowbasin and Powder Mountain remaining. The tickets are discounted an additional 20%. Details and order information here. All proceeds from these go towards paying for avalanche forecasting and education!

Weather and Snow

Skies are partly cloudy in the Ogden area mountains this morning, and I suspect were cloudy for much of the night. Temperatures are still dropping, but mostly a repeat of yesterday morning – in the 20s on the highest peaks, 30s at the mid elevations, and once again, a few 40s at the lowest elevations. The westerly winds are averaging 10 to 15 mph at the mid elevations, with the highest stations averaging to 20 to 25 mph.

There should be a very short window for spring corn today if you can find a smooth, sunny slope when it first softens. Trail heads are sadly melting/melted out.

Recent Avalanches

Clouds and wind won the battle with the sun yesterday and kept the snow cool, and there were no reports of wet loose activity.

Paige and Toby toured the periphery of Snowbasin Tuesday and their report can be found here.

Ad
Avalanche Problem #1
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

Clear skies and lots of direct sun are in the forecast today, so the snow’s overnight refreeze will be shorter lived, especially at the low and mid elevations. When the sun hits a slope in full force, the snow surface will heat and wet loose sluffs will become easy to trigger. Once the snow becomes wet, loose, punchy or unsupportable, it’s time to get off of and out from under steep slopes, and move to a cooler aspect or lower angle terrain.

Avalanche Problem #2
Normal Caution
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

The avalanche hazard is generally Low and avalanches are unlikely. But travel in avalanche terrain is never a completely safe game, so watch for the following issues on isolated features:

Wind slabs: there isolated wind drifts that could be triggered by a person – northerly and easterly facing slopes in the highest alpine terrain are the most suspect. Quickly dig down and search for the potential weak layer - loose graupel beneath the surface snow.

Deep slab: If you’re wondering what happened to the Persistent Slab avalanche problem, catch up with Mark’s great video below. The issue and the weak layers are not gone, rather they are currently dormant and avalanching on these deeper weak layers is unlikely.

Glide avalanches: full depth releases can happen on slopes with smooth rock slabs beneath.

Additional Information

It's another beautiful warm spring day, with clear skies and lots of sun. Temperatures will warm to near 50°F at 8,000’ today and into the mid to upper 30s along the high ridge lines. The west to northwesterly wind are forecast to average in the 10 to 20 mph range at the mid elevations, and 25 to 35 mph at the highest elevation. Increasing clouds and southwesterly winds overnight and tomorrow, ahead of a small storm that could drop 2 to 4” of snow Monday night. Then back to warm and dry weather through Friday.

General Announcements

CLICK HERE FOR MORE GENERAL INFO AND FAQ

The UAC has new support programs with Outdoor Research and Darn Tough. Support the UAC through your daily shopping. When you shop at Smith's, or online at Outdoor Research, REI, Backcountry.com, Darn Tough, Patagonia, NRS, Amazon, eBay a portion of your purchase will be donated to the FUAC. See our Donate Page for more details on how you can support the UAC when you shop.

Benefit the Utah Avalanche Center when you buy or sell on eBay - set the Utah Avalanche Center as a favorite non-profit in your eBay account here and click on eBay gives when you buy or sell. You can choose to have your seller fees donated to the UAC, which doesn't cost you a penny

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.

Next forecast >