Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Ogden Area Mountains Issued by Evelyn Lees for Sunday - December 17, 2017 - 6:55am
bottom line

The avalanche danger is LOW – but small avalanches can be triggered in isolated areas or extreme terrain. The most likely avalanche to trigger would be a small, old shallow wind drift at the highest elevations.

The snow pack is very shallow - riding is really only possible at the upper elevations in the Ogden area mountains, and even there, staying on lower angle, grassy slopes or sticking to snow packed roads will reduce the number of rocks and stumps you hit.
special announcement

With no change in conditions expected or any storms on the horizon, we will be issuing intermittent advisories. The next update will be Monday the 18th of December.

Check out the blog Avalanche Fatalities During Uphill Travel. Backcountry travelers need a clear focus on evaluating terrain during their ascent, as well as their descents.
current conditions

The splitting trough was another bust, leaving behind less than an inch of snow at most mountain locations. Winds have shifted to the north, and are forecast to remain light. Temperatures in mountains should be in the low teens to singlle digits on Sunday morning.

Total snow on the ground on shady, upper elevation slopes is around 1 to 2 feet, and becoming less supportable in the shallower snowpack areas. Sunny slopes are a mix of crusty snow and bare ground, and there’s only patchy snow at the mid and lower elevations.

View the latest Ogden observations here.

recent activity

No new avalanche activity has been reported for over a week.
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

Though the avalanche danger is LOW, small avalanches can still be triggered in isolated places. Perhaps a small, shallow old wind drift at the highest elevation.

The snowpack on the shady slopes consists of weak crusts and sugary faceted snow. This is a concern for the future when we finally get snow. For now, it’s amazing just to dig your hand into the snow and see how loose and weak it is.

weather

High pressure will once again dominate through about Tuesday, with a warming trend. Highs will once again warm into the 30s and then 40s. Winds will remain very light from the north on Sunday. On the plus side, there is a small storm in the forecast for late Wednesday into Thursday, and maybe again next weekend.
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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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.

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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.