Ogden Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Brett Kobernik

BOTTOM LINE

Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)


Danger Rose Tutorial

There is mostly a MODERTE danger which include both fresh wind drifts on the upper elevation northerly aspects as well as slab avalanches breaking into a persistent weakness on the mid elevation northerly aspects. With careful evaluation, more advanced users will find lots of terrain with a MODERATE danger. Be honest with yourself about your avalanche skill level to help you choose the right terrain for today. The danger level varies greatly from place to place.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

Stronger then expected wind speeds on Saturday tops the headlines. Winds slowed for a period but overall have been sustained or even increased a bit, still from the southeast. Ridgetop temperatures are in the mid 20s.

RECENT ACTIVITY

There was no avalanche activity reported from the Ogden area on Saturday.

THREAT #1
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

With continued winds and some loose snow available for transport, the chance for triggering a fresh wind slab will be the main focus today. These probably won't be as sensitive today as yesterday but could be deeper. This is most pronounced in the upper elevations on the northerly facing slopes. Watch for crossloaded terrain features and approach any drift or pillow with caution. Consider that west facing slopes that usually get stripped by the wind may be loaded. Ski cuts may be effective and should be used with caution.

THREAT #2
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Buried surface hoar may still be reactive in the Ogden area mountains. Recent snow and additional wind transported snow have enhanced this problem again. Most likely locations for this problem are northerly slopes in the 8000 to 10000 foot level. These are not manageable and ski cuts should not be used to try and mitigate them. Avoidance is the best technique.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

We'll see periods of snow today adding up a few inches or possibly a bit more. Ridgetop winds will continue from the southeast in the annoying range before switching more south and southwest. It looks like they'll continue to be annoying and gusty for a good portion of today. Ridgetop temperatures will be in the mid to upper 20s. Periods of snow may continue tonight into Monday adding another 1 to 3 inches or a bit more if we're lucky. Snow showers taper off Monday morning.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

SLC: Please contact Alta Central (801-742-2033) if you trigger a large avalanche in the backcountry, especially if you are adjacent to a ski area, to alert them to the slide and whether anyone is missing or not. Rescue teams can be exposed to significant hazard when responding to avalanches, and do not want to do so when unneeded. Thanks.

Discount Lift tickets: Ski Utah, Backcountry.com, Alta, Deer Valley, Park City, The Canyons, Wolf Mountain, Snowbasin, Beaver Mountain, Brighton, Sundance, and Solitude have donated a limited number of tickets for sale at discounted prices.

Wasatch Powderbird Guides flight plan.

Dawn Patrol Forecast Hotline, updated by 05:30:888-999-4019 option 8.

Daily observations are frequently posted by 10 pm each evening.

Free UAC iPhone app from Canyon Sports.

Subscribe to the daily avalanche advisory e-mail click HERE.

UDOT canyon closures UDOT at (801) 975-4838

We appreciate all your avalanche and snow observations. You can also call us at 801-524-5304 or 800-662-4140, or fill out the observation form on our home page.

Donate to your favorite non-profit – The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center. The UAC depends on contributions from users like you to support our work.

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.

We will update this forecast tomorrow morning. Thanks for calling.

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.

This advisory provided by the USDA Forest Service, in partnership with:

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, Utah Division of Emergency Management, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake Unified Fire Authority and the friends of the La Sal Avalanche Center. See our Sponsors Page for a complete list.