Ogden Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Bruce Tremper

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Just a few Sundance ski tickets remain. If you’ve never been - you gotta go. Buy a discounted ticket, support the Utah Avalanche Center and ski/ride 16” of powder in one of Utah’s most dramatic alpine settings. Discount Lift tickets

We'd appreciate feedback!! Click on our quick survey to help us out.

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 with pockets of Level 3 CONSIDERABLE on slopes of about 35 degrees and steeper for a variety of issues:

· Fresh wind drifts and cornices in mid and upper elevation terrain, especially on slopes facing the north and east.

· New snow soft slabs and sluffs from intense snowfall during the passage of the cold front

· Wet snow sluffs with afternoon sun and heating

· And finally for the very isolated chance of triggering a large, deep slab avalanche.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

As a kid growing up in Montana, I remember March was the month to fly kites. The weeks around the equinox are usually windy and stormy. This March has not disappointed. Did I mention the winds? Yep, it was windy again yesterday and especially last night with gusts over 60 along the highest peaks from the southwest, as usual. Ridge top temperatures have droped into the teens. The Cottonwood Canyons and Snowbasin picked up 4-7 inches yesterday with very little snow on the Park City side of the range . We will get about that much again this morning through mid day with yet another quick-hitting front.

RECENT ACTIVITY

Several backcountry travelers continued to intentionally trigger wind slabs yesterday along the upper elevation, wind exposed terrain. Most of the slabs were around a foot deep and quite sensitive.

I looked at the large, deep slide in Mineral Fork, which released natually during the Monday/Tuesday storm and added a snow profile and a video clip to the observation from a couple days ago.

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

The main problem today will be from wind slabs deposited by the strong winds from the southwest in advance of the mid day cold front. You will find them mostly in upper elevation, wind exposed terrain on slopes that face the north and east quadrants of the compass, but they are cross loaded into many other slopes as well. Wind slabs look smooth and rounded and often feel punchy. Stay on gentler slopes in wind-affected terrain. Remember cornices are huge and sensitive so stay well back from the edge of dropoffs. Also remember almost all of the deep slab releases have been triggered by cornice falls as well as the weight of recently wind drifted snow, which should give you even more incentive to stay on more conservative terrain.

THREAT #2
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 12 hours.

The cold front should arrive by mid morning and bring an intense burst of snow and wind. This will likely create widespread, shallow, soft slabs within the new snow that will be quite sensitive. Although most of these will likely be "manageable" meaning that they are right on the surface and mostly shallow and soft, you should stick to gentler slopes and out from underneath steep slopes during the brunt of the heavy snow.

THREAT #3
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 8 hours.

As usual in the spring, the sun is very strong and if it comes out, even for an hour, it can instantly cause damp or wet sluffs on the steep, sun exposed slopes.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Ditto yesterday's weather forecast for today, Saturday and Sunday. Strong winds from the southwest should continue to blow this morning and a quick-hitting cold front from the west should arrive by mid morning through mid day and give us an intense 4-8 inches of snow. We could see enough clearing by afternoon for the strong spring sun to make the snow wet on the south facing slopes. Ridge top temperatures should be in the mid teens to the lower 20's. In other words, wind, snow, sun. Repeat each day through the weekend. If you don't like the weather, wait an hour and it will change.

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.