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Forecast for the Provo Area Mountains

Drew Hardesty
Issued by Drew Hardesty on
Tuesday morning, December 4, 2018
Areas of CONSIDERABLE danger exist at the mid and upper elevation northwest through east facing slopes. The danger is more pockety in the upper elevation west and southeast quadrants, but no less dangerous. Human triggered avalanches 2-3' deep are probable and may be triggered at a distance. Elsewhere, the danger is generally LOW.
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Special Announcements
We have a couple of fun events coming up on December 5th and 6th in Salt Lake and Park City. Topics include Recreating in New Zones, Women's Specific Avalanche Awareness, and a slide show from Ascent Magazine. More info about these events HERE.
Weather and Snow
Glorious out there this morning. Skies are clear with nearly calm winds. Temps are in the single digits. We now have a decent start to the season with 3-4' in the mid to upper elevations. Skiing and riding conditions are excellent. We're off to a decent start this winter. How decent? See below -
Recent Avalanches
The only report we received of avalanche activity in the Provo mountains was from a party ice climbing in Santaquin Canyon. You can read this avalanche occurrence by clicking here. Otherwise, the Provo mountains are similar to the central Wasatch in regards to snowpack. You can check observations in the menu the top of the page.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
In the past week, the Provo mountains have received nearly 2' of storm snow with a significant wind loading event on Thursday. During this period, there were human-triggered as well as natural avalanches in the central Wasatch. The most dangerous of these exist on steep northwest to east facing slopes at the mid and upper elevations and can be triggered from a distance. The slides can be 2-3' deep and a couple hundred feet wide. Extra caution is advised.
Avalanche Problem #2
Normal Caution
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Risk is inherent in mountain travel. Isolated and shallow wind pockets and minor sluffing of the new snow are possible in steep, high alpine terrain. These issues are manageable through proper assessment, terrain choices, ski cuts and the like. Radical terrain amplifies the consequences of even a minor mishap. Remember that good habits save lives: travel one at a time through avalanche terrain, carry and know how to use rescue equipment, and be close enough to your partners to effect a rescue if needed.
Additional Information
There's no mystery here. We got after the cold smoke on both south and north facing terrain yesterday. How? We skied steep south facing terrain because it harbors no old basal faceted snow. When we skied north facing; however, we ratcheted our slope angles down and avoided being underneath other steep terrain. For today, the powder skiing and riding will be equally good around the compass, but the risk matrix is clear: North facing: High Risk High Reward----- South facing: Low Risk High Reward
General Announcements
CLICK HERE FOR MORE GENERAL INFO AND FAQ
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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