Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Ogden Area Mountains Issued by Paige Pagnucco for Saturday - April 15, 2017 - 6:57am
bottom line

After a solid overnight refreeze, the avalanche danger is LOW. Continue to use normal caution.




special announcement

Great news… so far there haven’t been any avalanche fatalities in Utah this winter! It has been 26 years since we’ve had a fatality-free winter. Let’s keep it that way and stay safe this spring. Our goal is for everyone to enjoy the Greatest Snow on Earth and come home safe every day.

The final regular advisory will be this Sunday, April 16. For the rest of the month we'll issue updates any time there is measurable snowfall; however, we will discontinue issuing avalanche danger ratings after Sunday.

Want to know about more about spring conditions? Want to be your own forecaster? Check out this short video ...

https://youtu.be/ukS6YxZTOt0
current conditions

Under clear skies temperatures this morning are chilly - 24 F at Ben Lomond, 16 F at Mt. Ogden, and 17 F at Monte Cristo. Winds are blowing 10-15 mph out of the west. With overnight temps in the teens, the snow will be very firm and slow to soften this morning.

This is my last forecast of the season and I want to say a HUGE thank you to a few folks:

  • GR and the Snowbasin Patrol - Your support has been invaluable.
  • Brian, Mike, Butch, and the Powder Mt. crew - Ditto. We couldn't do it without you.
  • All the Ogden area observers: Brian Smith, Bill Brandt, Derek DeBruin, Bill Hunt, Mike H, Ben, Doug Wewer, Daniel Turner, and many more. Your efforts have been key to developing accurate advisories. Thank you for taking the time to share what you see.
  • Stephanie and the AD Triple S team for your support of avalanche education for motorized riders.
  • And last but not least, UAC intern and Ogden avalanche guru extraordinaire, Kory Davis. Your enthusiasm and energy for all things avalanche is contagious. Your contributions are immeasurable and there's no doubt you are making a difference. Thank you.
recent activity

A few small, wet loose avalanches were reported Thursday. On Wednesday, a human triggered wet loose avalanche in Mt.Ogden Chute was large enough to burry 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

Cold temperatures and clear skies refroze the snowpack overnight. With forecast cool temperatures and northerly winds, any loose wet snow activity should be minimal today. Keep a few things in mind though:

  • If temperatures climb higher than forecasted, triggered loose wet avalanches might become possible. At this time of year, snow can change in mere minutes. Avoid steep slopes where the snow is saturated or showing signs of instability like rollerballs, pinwheels, or natural sluffs under trees or rock outcroppings.
  • Avoid being on or below large ridge-top cornices. Overhanging cornices can break further back than expected and trigger avalanches on slopes below. Cornice falls are possible anytime, but are most likely during the heat of the day.
  • Icy or firm snow surfaces will make for "slide for life" conditions on steep slopes this morning until the sun has a chance to soften the snow. You might consider using crampons and an ice axe or whippet for self-arrest if you plan to be in steep terrain.
  • Continue to use safe travel protocols and carry a beacon, shovel and probe.
weather

Today will be a stunner in the mountains - sunny skies, temps in the low 30's F, and light northwesterly winds blowing 5-10 mph. Sunday will bring warmer temps ahead of unsettled weather for the coming week.

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!

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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 occur