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

Pockets of a Considerable avalanche danger remain today. It is a distinct possibility that a person could get caught and carried in an avalanche on slopes of 35 degrees and steeper in areas with fresh deposits of wind drifted snow. The scattered wind slabs are “pockety” in nature but do pose a threat of injury. Collapsing of the snow underneath you is an obvious sign of instability.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

It was another epic night to start metamorphosing our newest snow again. Clear skies, cold temperatures in the single digits to low teens and light northerly winds are the perfect conditions to start faceting the most recent snow. The northeast winds on Thursday stirred the new snow up forming drifts of variable thickness in various locations. Needless to say, it didn’t help riding conditions at all. Don’t get me wrong, I had an excellent day in the backcountry looking at buried facets and collapsing fresh wind slabs, I’m just saying......


RECENT ACTIVITY

Most other observations from folks out yesterday included fresh wind drifts, collapsing and cracking. There were a couple of avalanches reported also. A natural avalanche in West Monitor on the Park City Ridgeline which was about 40 feet wide and ran into the transition zone. A skier remotely triggered two slabs upon entering Cardiff Bowl in Little Cottonwood. They were about 12 inches deep and ran a couple hundred feet. There was one other report with vague details of a skier who was caught and carried in a fresh wind drift on a west aspect in upper Little Cottonwood Canyon.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

The biggest danger today revolves around the fresh wind drifted snow. Anywhere it landed and formed a stiff drift on top of weak sugary faceted snow is suspect. Under normal circumstances wind drifts tend to become less sensitive over a short period of time but when they’re formed on top of a persistent weak layer, they’ll remain sensitive for a longer period. Watch out for them again today. The avalanches are not particularly large but they are releasing as slabs which can easily grab you and rough you up over the many rocks and stumps that are barely covered up out there.


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

You’ll want to be careful of triggering sluffs out of wind effected terrain today as well. This is not nearly the concern the wind slabs are but if you initiate a sluff in steep terrain it is likely to gouge into the old weak snow and entrain a good amount.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

We’ve got a number of nice days ahead weather-wise. We’ll see clear skies with cool temperatures and light northerly winds today. Temperatures will gradually warm over the weekend as a ridge of high pressure moves over us. Temperatures will remain mild into next week with no significant storms in sight. There will be the chance for some minor periods of snow during the week.


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)

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 clickHERE.

UDOT canyon closures UDOTat (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 clickingHERE

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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.