Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Ogden Area Mountains Issued by Evelyn Lees for Friday - March 13, 2015 - 6:53am
bottom line

The avalanche danger is mostly LOW this morning, but will increase to MODERATE with daytime heating on the steep, sunny slopes and at the low to mid elevations, as the snow gets wet and soggy. It will become possible to trigger wet loose snow sluffs on steep slopes. There are also isolated places where a person could still trigger a dry slab avalanche, mostly on upper elevation slopes facing northerly through easterly.




special announcement

Come check out a slideshow with Petzl Team alpinist Colin Haley at Petzl HQ (2929 Decker Lake Drive) next Tuesday March 17th 7pm about his recent climbing expedition to Patagonia. “The focus will be on this season in Patagonia, which has certainly been my most successful climbing trip ever,” Colin writes. Epic! For more information and tickets, click here. This should be an amazing event - Colin's one of the best climbers of the day - and all proceeds support the Utah Avalanche Center.

current conditions

Clear skies combined with temperatures in the twenties to mid 30s this morning will have given a solid refreeze to the snow surface. Watch out for “slide for life’s” on steep icy slopes. The northeasterly winds are in the 15 to 20 mph range across the highest peaks this morning. Yesterday’s 1 to 4” of snow might be hard to find as it warmed and blended right into the old snow in many places. The rain/snow line was around 7,000’ yesterday, though isolated afternoon rain showers reached 8,500’ in a few locations.

recent activity

No new avalanche activity reported.

Avalanche Problem 1
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 12 hours
description

We are fully into the springtime mantra – early starts and early finishes; switch to the cooler aspects once the snow heats up. You need to be alert, and notice when the snow becomes punchy, soggy, wet or loose where you are – on sunny slopes and on the shady low and mid elevation slopes. When this happens, it’s time to get off the steep slopes where the snow is wet. Avoid terrain traps, including creeks and gullies, where even a small sluff can pile snow up deeply.

Avalanche Problem 2
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

There is still an isolated chance of triggering a dry slab avalanche breaking on facets buried about 1 - 2 feet deep. Upper elevation, rocky areas with a shallower snowpack, facing north through northeast are the most suspect for this less predictable problem.

weather

Our high pressure nemesis is with us once again through the middle of next week. Sunny skies today, with temperatures warming into the low 30s along the high ridge lines, and 8,000’ temperatures warming to 50. The northeasterly winds will average less than 15 mph, except across the high peaks, where averages to 25 mph, with gusts to 30 are possible. Increasing clouds Saturday afternoon and Sunday, with temperatures in the low to mid 40s at 10,000’ for Sunday and Monday. A cooling trend is in the forecast for Tuesday through Thursday of next week.

general announcements

Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting snow and avalanche conditions. You can also call us at 801-524-5304, email by clicking HERE, or include #utavy in your tweet or Instagram.

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), Canyons Resort Dispatch (435-615-3322)

Snowbasin Resort Dispatch (801-620-1017), Powder Mountain Dispatch (801-745-3772 x 123).

Sundance Dispatch (801-223-4150)

EMAIL ADVISORY  If you would like to get the daily advisory by email you will need to subscribe here.​ 

DAWN PATROL Hotline updated daily by 5-530am - 888-999-4019 option 8.

Twitter Updates for your mobile phone - DETAILS

UDOT canyon closures:  LINK TO UDOT, or on Twitter, follow @UDOTavy, @CanyonAlerts or @AltaCentral

Utah Avalanche Center mobile app - Get your advisory on your iPhone along with great navigation and rescue tools.

Wasatch Powderbird Guides Blog/Itinerary for the Day.  

Lost or Found something in the backcountry? - http://nolofo.com/

Ski Utah mobile snow updates

Discount lift tickets are now available at Backcountry.com.  Thanks to Ski Utah and the Utah Resorts.  All proceeds go towards paying for Utah Avalanche Center avalanche and mountain weather advisories.

To those skinning uphill at resorts:  it is your responsibility to know the resort policy on uphill travel.  You can see the uphill travel policy for each resort here. IMPORTANT: Before skinning or hiking at a resort under new snow conditions, check in with Ski Patrol.  Resorts can restrict or cut off access if incompatible with control and grooming operations.

Benefit the Utah Avalanche Center when you shop from Backcountry.com or REI:  Click this link for Backcountry.com or this link to REI, shop, and they will donate a percent of your purchase price to the UAC.  Both offer free shipping (with some conditions) so this costs you nothing!

Benefit the Utah Avalanche Center when you buy or sell on ebay - set the Utah Avalanche Center as a favorite non-profit in your ebay account here and click on ebay gives when you buy or sell.  You can choose to have your seller fees donated to the UAC, which doesn't cost you a penny.

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 exist.