Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Ogden Area Mountains Issued by Evelyn Lees for Thursday - April 13, 2017 - 6:52am
bottom line

The avalanche danger is MODERATE for triggering one of the scattered wind drifts, which are most widespread on upper elevation northwest through easterly facing slopes. There is also a MODERATE danger for wet loose sluffs.
special announcement

Garage Sale - All proceeds benefit the Utah Avalanche Center

One pair of Black Diamond Helio 116 skis, size 176 cm for $600. Contact [email protected]

Snowbasin Lift tickets available for $50 go HERE to purchase or call 800-233-7189
current conditions

It’s the spring weather roller coaster - temperatures and winds will hit a peak this afternoon, before plunging tomorrow. Though skies are clear, most Ogden area mountain stations only cooled into the 40s and low 50s. Winds are from the south, with the high peaks averaging 30 to 45 mph, with gusts in the 50s at times.

recent activity

The only backcountry avalanche activity reported yesterday was a sizeable human triggered wet loose sluff off Mount Ogden, large enough to bury a person.

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

New, pockety wind drifts are forming at the higher elevations, most widespread on northwest through northeasterly facing slopes. These smooth, rounded drifts will be hard and cracky. Avoid the drifts on steep slopes – triggering even a shallow drift can knock you off your feet and take you for a ride in steep terrain.

Avalanche Problem 2
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 12 hours
description

With a poor overnight refreeze, the snow will heat up faster today. It will become possible to trigger wet loose sluffs on steep slopes of almost all aspects and elevations. The strong winds may help to keep the snow a bit cooler on some slopes, but once the snow is wet and punchy where you are, stay off steep slopes.

Cornices and Glide cracks: heating can make both cornices and glide cracks more likely to release. Avoid travel beneath both, and continue to stay well back from the edges of the huge cornices along the ridge lines
weather

An approaching strong, but dry cold front, will keep the southerly winds cranking today. Temperatures will warm into the low 60s at 8,000’ and the mid to upper 40s along the high ridge lines. The southerly winds will gradually increase through out the day, peaking early evening ahead of the front, with averages of 30 mph, gusting to 45 mph at the mid elevations, and gusting into the 70s at the upper elevations.

After the front passes tonight, temperatures will be 25 degrees cooler on Friday, with highs only in the upper 20s and 30s. A rapid warming trend will put mountains temperatures back in the 40s and 50s by Sunday.
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.

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.

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!

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 occur