Ogden Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Drew Hardesty

BOTTOM LINE

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


Danger Rose Tutorial

A MODERATE danger exists in the Wasatch. Human triggered avalanches remain possible. The danger is most pronounced in the steep high northerly and westerly wind loaded terrain and in the shady mid-elevations where we have reactive layers of surface hoar. Careful routefinding and terrain management is required.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

A strong weather system diving to the south will allow for some spillover through the northern Wasatch. We currently have overcast skies and light snow falling in the mountains. Temperatures are in the low 20s. Yesterday’s westerly winds backed southwesterly and have continued backing to the southeast, where they’ve been blowing 15-20mph - gusting into the 30s - along the high exposed ridgelines. Elsewhere winds are mostly calm.

RECENT ACTIVITY

· It was the third skier on the slab that triggered the 12” deep and 20’ slab in the upper part of the Y Couloir. It ran 200’ down the chute with no one reportedly caught.

· A ski cut released an 18” deep and 20’ wide pocket in American Fork canyon.

· Other reports of minor wet and dry sluffing in the steepest terrain.

More details, pics, and more can be found in the upper left hand corner of the page under Current Conditions.

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

Surface Hoar and the accompanying facets are like a snake in the grass. Here’s the scenario: a skier ticks off the 50 degree big bold line/couloir/face at 11,000’ with manageable soft snow issues. No problem. He lets his guard down in the lower angle 33 degree glade exit and triggers the 2’ deep 100’ wide avalanche down and gets wrapped around a tree - or worse. The fragile feathers on Feb 10th were immediately insulated by a few inches of low density snow, protecting them from wind and sun and they’ve been a player ever since. Surface Hoar is typically found in the mid to low elevations where it’s more protected, with a cooler, humid atmosphere during times of high pressure. It’s why Ben Lomond is skiied without incident and why typically perceived “safe” lower angle terrain off the Cutler Ridge is not. Not that I’m necessarily advocating a conga line into the Heart of Darkness.

These may still be triggered – even remotely - up to 2’ deep and 150’ wide, primarily on northwest through northeast facing slopes between 7000’ and 9000’. Slope angles may be as low as 28-30 degrees. Big Cottonwood canyon seems to be the loose north/south boundary for the action. Outliers, of course, remain.

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

The catch-all for lingering wind slabs and the potential for loose snow avalanches.

Very isolated soft slabs from the Saturday/Sunday southeasterly winds remain in the open steep terrain in the alpine zone. We’ll see some snow today with the storm diving south – if the 2-5” verify, anticipate some sluffing in the steepest terrain.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Another storm, another storm that dives south. We’ll have mostly cloudy to overcast skies and perhaps 2-5” today. Perhaps another 2-5” tonight. Temps will be in the mid 20s, dropping to near 10 degrees by tomorrow afternoon. (These temps at 10,000’) The winds will start to become light and variable until a weak frontal boundary this afternoon where they veer northwesterly. A weak system follows for Wednesday into Wednesday night, with ridging lined up for Thursday/Friday.

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.

Ogden: Please contact Snowbasin ski patrol (801620-1000/1017) 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.

Provo: Please contact Sundance ski patrol (801 -223-4150) 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.

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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.

Evelyn 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.