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Forecast for the Salt Lake Area Mountains

Greg Gagne
Issued by Greg Gagne on
Wednesday morning, November 22, 2023
Update for Wednesday, November 22 at 5 PM
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the Wasatch Mountains through 11 PM Friday, with 8-12" of snow expected by later Friday. Higher snow totals are possible for the upper Cottonwoods. Watch for changing conditions as snowfall develops Thursday afternoon.
We’ll issue updates as conditions change.
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Check uphill travel policies at resorts before you head up to their terrain.
Weather and Snow
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the Wasatch Mountains through 11 PM Friday, with 8-12" of snow expected by later Friday.
Cold and clear conditions are forecast following the Thursday/Friday storm.
Recent Avalanches
No recent avalanche activity has been reported.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Normal Caution
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
The early-season snowpack ranges from 6-30", with the highest amounts in the upper Cottonwoods. On my field day Wednesday in upper Little Cottonwood, I was finding a stable snowpack, but I have concerns with faceted snow I was finding down 2' on upper elevation northerly aspects shown in the photo below. As we head into this winter season, this will be the weak layer I'm initially tracking, beginning with the expected storm on Thursday and Friday.
Dave Kelly shares his snowpack observations from the upper Cottonwoods from field work earlier this week.
Additional Information
It’s never too early to start thinking about avalanches. Here are a few things to consider doing:
  • Learn online. We have over 5 hours of free online learning at the Know Before You Go Website
  • Check out the upcoming in-person Know Before You Go events HERE
  • Sign up for an on-snow class
  • Check out the UAC's education progression HERE
  • Get your avalanche rescue gear ready for winter. Put fresh batteries in your transceiver and update the firmware. Inspect your shovel and probe. Get your airbag backpack ready by possibly doing a test deployment and updating the firmware if it is an electric version or getting your canister refilled if it's not electronic.
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