Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Ogden Area Mountains Issued by Drew Hardesty for Thursday - February 16, 2017 - 6:07am
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We have a mostly LOW avalanche danger. Wet and dry sluffs in the surface snow are possible in steep terrain. Fresh deposits of wind slab may be shallow and isolated, but sensitive to human provocation. Remember that your choice of terrain will either amplify or minimize the overall risk of incident.
special announcement

Learn how to travel safely in avalanche terrain. This workshop begins with a three hour evening class followed by a on-the-snow field day. For more info -

Companion piece to #NothingBadHappened called Hindsight 20/40.
current conditions

Skies are clear. Winds picked up overnight, blowing 35-45mph on James Peak and Mt Ogden. Mid-elevation anemometers spin at 15mph with gusts to 30. Mountatin temps are 30° along the ridgelines and in the mid-30s at the mid-elevations. Soft settled powder still exists in the protected northerly terrain while something approximating corn exists on the sunny aspects. Snow depths at the mid-elevation snow stakes are 95" to 110". Despite the recent warm-up, we still have excellent coverage at the mid and upper elevations.

recent activity

Reports continue of wet and dry sluffs in the surface snow.

Avalanche Problem 1
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

Normal Caution. Remember that risk is inherent in mountain travel. Avalanche concerns for the backcountry include the following:

  • Shallow fresh wind deposits generally relegated to the upper elevation ridgelines. While shallow, the new drifts may be particularly sensitive to human provocation today. They'll be more pronounced on north through east facing slopes above 9500'.
  • Continued dry sluffing in the weakening surface snow in the steep northerly terrain at the mid and upper elevations. Ski cuts are effective mitigation tools for these.
  • Continued wet sluffing on the sunlit aspects with daytime warming. Activity should commence earlier due to the warmer overnght temperatures. Damp rollerballs and minor sluffing are possible at the mid-elevation shady slopes.
  • Cornices loom large over many ridgelines - continue to give them a very wide berth.
weather

A weakening storm will bring us some clouds, increased southwesterly winds, and perhaps a trace to 2" overnight. The weekend storm is diving well to the south of us but should keep us under an unsettled southerly flow with a few inches of snow likely over the weekend. For today, expect southwesterly winds to blow 20-30mph. Higher hourly averages expected north of I-80. Mountain temps will reach to near 50° at 8500'.
general announcements

Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please help us out 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 request 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.

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

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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 critical to know the resort policy on uphill travel. You can see the uphill travel policy for each resort here.

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!

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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.