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

We continue to have a mostly MODERATE danger in the backcountry. Isolated areas of CONSIDERABLE danger pocket the steep upper elevation northerly through easterly facing terrain. These avalanches - like this onein the backcountry between Alta and Brighton triggered on Wednesday - could have resulted in serious injury or death. Unmanageable human triggered avalanches remain possible. Heightened avalanche conditions exist on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

Skies are mostly clear. Temps ride in the mid twenties. West to northwesterly ridge top winds are 30mph with gusts to 40. Mid-elevation winds are at 15mph. If you're looking for good weather and reasonable conditions, get it while you can - I expect we'll be in Avalanche Warning criteria by mid-week.


RECENT ACTIVITY

There were no reports from the backcountry yesterday. Little has changed however. We still have poor snowpack structure...with storms - finally - on the horizon. To look at the future, we need only look north. New Year's storms easily crushed the weak snowpacks of the Tetons and Montana. The result? - 3 fatalities in Montana and a few 'nine-lives' lost in the Tetons.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

These persistent slabs have been around since before the New Year...a testament to the "historically weak" snowpack structure that will soon provide plenty of avalanches with the upcoming storms. Many of these hard slabs have been triggered remotely with pieces of the crown pulling back onto lower (<30 degree) slope angles. My backcountry route selections haven't changed in two weeks - I'm avoiding the steep northerly through easterly facing terrain above roughly 9500'. Other tracks on the slope or a single slope cut offers little security.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

We'll have another beautiful day in the mountains. Temps will rise to near 40 at 8000' and the mid-30s at 10,000'. The winds should start to back to the west and southwest and blow 15-20mph with gusts into the 30s. Tomorrow will be even windier ahead of a vigorous and cold - if somewhat moisture starved - storm for early Monday. Don't worry about the lack of moisture. This first storm is only opens the door to a series of powerful wet, windy, and warm storms set for mid 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.

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UDOT canyon closures UDOTat (801) 975-4838

Wasatch Powderbird Guides are suspending the opening of helicopter skiing operations. Once we have enough snow cover, daily updates to this bloghttp://powderbird.blogspot.com/will begin for the 2011-2012 season.

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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.