Hello, this is Toby Weed of the
Current Conditions:
The sopping snow refroze nicely in
the
Avalanche
Conditions:
Wet
loose and slab avalanches were quite common across the region this week. Most steep sunny slopes in the region
show signs of recent wet avalanche activity, and some of this has been fairly
significant. As far as I can tell,
we’ve so far escaped the huge warmth related avalanche cycle which has been
producing very impressive natural and human triggered slides in the
With
continued exceptionally hot weather forecast through the weekend, wet avalanches
will become a serious problem in the backcountry. With a reasonable refreeze likely
tonight, your best bet for the weekend will be an early Friday start. It’s always a good idea in these
conditions to get the pre-dawn start and be heading home by early afternoon.
If we don’t get a freeze for a few
consecutive nights, as is forecast for the weekend, the superficially frozen
surface snow gets mushy and dangerous earlier and earlier in the days. The warmth this weekend will continue to
deform cornices, and some could fail, potentially triggering avalanches on
slopes below. Wet avalanches are
possible on steep slopes at all elevations with saturated surface snow. Persistent dryer slab avalanches are
also possible on some steep upper elevation slopes, and the problem is worsened
by the continuing heat-wave. Heat
induced creep and glide may be the cause the recent huge natural avalanches in
the Wasatch, while slab softening (also due to the heat) may be partly to blame
for the numerous recent human triggered avalanches. Dangerous persistent slab avalanches are
most likely in areas with shallow overall snowpack, facing west through
southeast, and above around 8000’ in elevation. In some areas, a wet avalanche overrunning a
steep slope with persistent buried weak layers could cause a deeper, potentially
deadly hard slab release.
Bottom Line:
There will be a MODERATE danger in
the backcountry on Friday morning, with triggered avalanches possible on some
steep slopes. The danger will rise
with heating during the day and will reach CONSIDERABLE on numerous steep slopes by
mid-afternoon. Wet loose and slab
avalanches will be probable on many saturated slopes at all elevations in the
backcountry. Some avalanches might
step down into buried weak layers and be large, destructive and deadly. Avoid
and stay out from under slopes steeper than about 35 degrees, especially those
with saturated surface snow.
Mountain Weather:
A strong high pressure system will
set up over the region for the weekend, and unseasonably hot temperatures will
continue. A progressively more
productive looking storm will bring increasing clouds and warm prefrontal wind
to the region on Tuesday. Snowfall
is likely Tuesday night and Wednesday, and with any luck we’ll see some relief
from the heat wave.
General Information:
Check out photos of last week's
avalanches in the Logan Area on our images
page.
Go to the Avalanche
Encyclopedia if you have any questions about terms I use in the
advisory. I also recommend the recently-released Media Page, which
shows the forecast danger for our coverage areas across the state.
Please e-mail me at
[email protected] or leave me a message at 755-3638 if you see or trigger
avalanches in the backcountry. The information you provide may save
lives...
This advisory will expire on Friday
evening. I will update it again on
Saturday morning.
The information in this advisory is
from the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content.
This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always
occur.