Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Ogden Area Mountains Issued by Evelyn Lees for Tuesday - February 9, 2016 - 6:56am
bottom line

The avalanche danger is LOW in the morning, but will rapidly rise to MODERATE today for triggering wet, loose sluffs on steep, sunny slopes as the day heats up. Natural wet loose slides will also occur, so also avoid travel below the steep sunny slopes once they heat.

There are a variety of other avalanche concerns to be aware of and evaluate - including the chance of triggering old, hard wind slabs, and a slidle on one of the faceted weak layers, either mid pack or near the ground. As always, evaluate all steep terrain carefully.
special announcement

Tuesday February 9th - Fireside Chat at 7 p.m. at Black Diamond. UAC Forecaster Brett Kobernik will discuss current conditions and his own avalanche involvement on the Skyline from last week.

Wednesday February 10th - Avalanche Clinic for Ice Climbers at 6 p.m. at Sandy Momentum climbing gym. For more info click HERE.

Thursday, February 10th, the Utah Adventure Journal speaker series features Todd Offenbacher More info HERE.
current conditions

Perhaps we’re on the way to a February corn cycle - soften, freeze, repeat. Temperatures in the Ogden area mountains are in the 30 to 35 degree range, with a few 20s in the valley bottoms where the cold air has pooled. Even with these warm temperatures, the snow surface will be frozen hard this morning because of the clear skies. The northerly winds are light, averaging 5 to 15 mph, with high peak Mt Ogden averaging 20, with gusts to 25.

The hard, early morning crusts will soften everywhere by afternoon. Sheltered, upper elevation northerly facing slopes still harbor dry powder between areas of wind scour and wind slab.
recent activity

Yesterday’s few reports included minor wet loose sluffs. In the Ogden area mountains, the easterly facing slopes were the most active.

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

Three issues related to the heat wave and wet snow avalanches.

  • Wet sluffs: sunny slopes will heat up fast today - first east, then south, then west. As soon as the crusts become punchy, the snow damp and sloppy or you if trigger small wet sluffs, it’s time to get off and out from under those steep sunny slopes and head to cooler terrain. Sluffs have a slick rain crust to run on at the mid and lower elevations that makes a good bed surface. Damp sluffs can also be triggered on the shady low and mid elevation slopes, too.
  • Cornice Fall: cornices are starting to soften and droop, and can break back further than expected.
  • Wet Slabs: as the heat wave continues through the week, water can pool on mid pack weak layers and above crusts, and isolated wet slab avalanches are possible today.
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
  • A few hard wind slabs could still be triggered in upper elevation terrain and along ridge lines.
  • In isolated places, you might still be able to trigger a slide on the buried surface hoar layer in the Ogden area mountains, probably on mid to upper elevation, north to northeasterly facing slopes.
  • The icy, hard crusts create a Slide-for-Life potential early in the morning when they are still frozen.
  • Only in isolated places could you still trigger a slide breaking on facets near the ground in the Ogden area mountains. I would still be suspect of any slope that slid during the December avalanche cycle - steep, northwest and northeasterly facing, upper elevation slopes. Very low probability, but with large consequences.
  • There have been reports of weak structure in the Ogden area snowpack on mid elevation, northwesterly facing slopes.
weather

Utah is like a ship stuck in the doldrums, becalmed in the center of the strong high pressure ridge. Under sunny skies, ridge line temperatures will soar to near 40 today, and 8,000’ temperatures to near 50. The northerly winds will continue to decrease, until most stations are averaging less than 10 mph. Upper elevation temperatures will remain in the upper 30s Wednesday through Friday, with periods of high thin clouds. A dry cold front will cross northern Utah over the weekend, bringing cooler temperatures to the mountains.

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.

To get help in an emergency (to launch a rescue) in the Wasatch, call 911.  Be prepared to give your GPS coordinates or the run name. Dispatchers have a copy of the Wasatch Backcountry Ski map.

Backcountry Emergencies. It outlines your step-by-step method in the event of a winter backcountry incident.

If you trigger an avalanche in the backcountry, but no one is hurt and you do not need assistance, please notify the nearest ski area dispatch to avoid a needless response by rescue teams. Thanks.

Salt Lake and Park City – Alta Central (801-742-2033), Canyons Resort/PCMR Dispatch (435)615-1911

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

Sundance Dispatch (801-223-4150)

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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.

Powderbird Helicopter Skiing - Blog/itinerary for the day  

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

Ski Utah mobile snow updates

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.

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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.