Ogden Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Bruce Tremper

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The FUAC is auctioning off a pair of 176 cm Black Diamond Drift skis with custom Utah Avalanche Center graphics as a fundraiser. Go to Ebay and search for item320647801970 for photos and to bid.

There are just a few lift tickets left - to Sundance, Wolf Mountain and Brianhead ski resorts – 100% of the sale of these donated tickets goes to support the Utah Avalanche Center.


BOTTOM LINE

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


Danger Rose Tutorial

The avalanche danger is Level 2 (Moderate) on any steep, slope with recent deposits of wind drifted snow. You will find these at many aspects and elevations, especially on west facing slopes. There is also a Level 2 (Moderate) danger of damp to wet, loose avalanches on steep, sun-exposed slopes as they heat up in the sun.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

Ah, much better. Temperatures have thankfully warmed from the -20 with a stiff wind yesterday to a balmy mid teens this morning. The winds are still fairly strong, 25, gusting to 45 from the north and should continue. We should also continue to warm today into the mid 20's.

Riding conditions are a bit disappointing considering that the upper Cottonwood Canyons near Salt Lake City had over a foot of very light snow (but very little new snow outside the Cottonwoods). The strong east and north winds these past couple days have drifted most of the snow into dense, lurch-and-jerk drifts on an ice crust. With this unusual wind direction from the east, you can find wind-sheltered snow on the west facing slopes--just the opposite of what we are used to.


RECENT ACTIVITY

We herd rumor yesterday of a snowmobiler-triggered avalanche in "Snake Creek - backside of Alta". Snake Creek is actually on the backside of Brighton so we don't know which information is correct. The snowmobiler apparently outran the slide but wrecked his sled hitting old avalanche debris. Drew will investigate today.

Several skiers in the Cottonwood Canyons near Salt Lake City were able to crack out small, soft, wind slabs with no one caught, as far as we know.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

The main problem today will be lingering wind slabs deposited by the strong winds from the east and north these past couple days. Yesterday they were getting progressively stiffer and more stubborn but you could still crack them out about 6 inches to a foot deep. Along the high peaks, I expect they will be much thicker but yesterday it was so cold and windy, not many people braved -20 with a 40 mph wind to find out.

With the east winds, the wind drifting pattern is just the opposite of normal so it seems discombobulating to find them cross-loaded and top-loaded onto west facing slopes--which are usually scoured bare by the wind. Also, the strong canyon winds drifted snow even low in the canyons and at the canyon mouths.

As usual, avoid steep slopes with recent wind drifts, which look smooth and rounded and feel slabby and sometimes sound hollow. Remember, you will find these on many different aspects and elevations.


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

The second avalanche problem will be the usual damp to wet sluffs on steep sun exposed slopes as the heat up today in the strong sun. Avoid being on or beneath steep slopes when they are getting soggy from the heat of the sun.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

We will have a welcome, rapid, warming today with temperatures rising into the mid teens and into the mid 20's on Friday. Winds will continue to be moderate to strong from the north and be even stronger on Friday and Saturday. We will have a few, passing clouds but skies should be mostly clear.

On Friday and Saturday, we will have some snow showers from a disturbance coming out of the northwest. We are expecting 6-10 inches of snow with fairly strong winds from the northwest.


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you trigger an avalanche in the backcountry - especially if you are adjacent to a ski area – please call the following teams 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.

Salt Lake – Alta Central (801-742-2033)

Ogden – Snowbasin Patrol Dispatch (801-620-1017)

Provo – Sundance Patrol Dispatch (801-223-4150)

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.

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.

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

UDOT canyon closures UDOT at (801) 975-4838

You have the opportunity to participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting avalanche and snow observations. You can also call us at 801-524-5304 or 800-662-4140, or email by clicking HERE

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.