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

Most terrain has a MODERATE avalanche danger but it will rise toward CONSIDERABLE as things heat up today. Get off steep slopes early and avoid being under avalanche paths as the day goes on.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

Overnight we had partly cloudy skies and temperatures remained warm around freezing or higher at most locations. Clouds just started clearing out. Winds are generally light from the southwest. These conditions will only have produced a very shallow refreeze of the snow surface.

RECENT ACTIVITY

There's been some recent natural wet slab avalanche activity reported by the Snowbasin snow safety and Doug Wewer as well.

It seems like this activity occurred on the 13th. DETAILS

THREAT #1
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 10 hours.

Avalanches due to heating is your main concern today. To be honest, I don't know what the extent of this activity will be. I suspect there won’t be a huge natural cycle today but it’s hard to ignore the string of nights with very mild temperatures and warmer weather expected today. Clouds and increasing winds will help counteract avalanche activity but don’t bet the bank on it. Also, we still have our buried weak layers that the heat will aggravate. Get out of the hills early and make sure you don’t put yourself in terrain traps on your exits.

THREAT #2
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 10 hours.

Be careful when approaching cornices as they will continue to get sensitive with the warming. They often will break back farther than you think they might.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

We’ll have clear to partly cloudy skies today with temperatures near 50 at 8000 feet. Southwest winds will increase to the moderate speed range this afternoon. Friday will be similar with a few more clouds and stiffer southwest winds. A large storm starts to move through on Saturday where we’ll see the chance of snow and continued mild temperatures and strong southwest winds. Our best chance for snow looks like it will be on Sunday into Monday with lingering snow showers perhaps into Tuesday before the storm moves out.

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 and Park City – 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.

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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.