Advisory: Ogden Area Mountains | utahavalanchecenter.org

Avalanche Advisory

Advisory: Ogden Area Mountains	Issued by Drew Hardesty for Tuesday - March 13, 2018 - 7:36am

bottom line

A MODERATE DANGER exists for human triggered slides 1-3 feet deep in isolated areas on predominantly (but not limited to) north to southeast facing slopes at the upper elevations. The danger will also reach at least MODERATE for wet avalanches on steep sun-kissed terrain. Wet unstable snow is slow but terrifying - avoid the overcooked aspects when they've softened and become unsupportable.

Cornices and Roof-avalanches are also significant hazards to have on the radar today.

special announcement

How does an avalanche accident happen? What is it like to be caught? What can we learn? Read a first-hand account of the avalanche accident in the Meadow Chutes that happened on January 26th. The full accident report can be found here.

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current conditions

Skies are partly cloudy with temps in the upper 20s to low 30s. Winds backed to the south overnight and are blowing 10mph with gusts to 15. All but due north mid and upper elevation snow surfaces will be crusted this morning. Decent quasi-corn is found mid-morning on the southerly aspects while soft turns in upper elevation cold snow are becoming an increasingly rare commodity.

recent activity

Beyond standard and minor wet loose avalanches, the most significant avalanches are a few days old See the list below -

03/7/2018 Ogden region: Avalanche: Cold Water Canyon, Skier trigger - 2' deep - Unknown' wide

03/5/2018 Ogden region: Avalanche: Willard Peak, Natural trigger

03/5/2018 Ogden region: Avalanche: Ben Lomond Headwall, Natural trigger

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 Poor snowpack structure exists above about 8000' on shady aspects and avalanches may be triggered by a skier or a rider, especially in thinner snowpack zones. Recent triggered avalanches in Coldwater Canyon to the north of Snowbasin and in the Bountiful area as well as natural avalanches on the Cutler and Willard headwalls are good indicators that persistent weak layers are still active. Staying off of and out from under slopes steeper than about 30 degrees mitigates this problem.

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 Wet Avalanches: As mountain temperatures skyrocket today, the snow will quickly thaw again and become wet and sloppy. Natural and human triggered wet loose (and potentially wet slab avalanches) are likely on the steepest aspects of all the sunlit slopes (and lower elevation shady ones). This is an easy problem to avoid. When the snow surface becomes damp and unsupportable or you start seeing roller balls cascading down from above, it's time to change to a cooler, more shady aspect. Cornices are increasingly sensitive with the sun and warm weather and often break back further than expected. Give them a wide berth and avoid travel below them. They may also - if large enough - be enough of a trigger to pry out deeper avalanches below. Roof-avalanches: Buildings are starting to shed their winter snow, so look up and avoid travel below steep roofs.

type

aspect/elevation

characteristics

LIKELIHOOD

LIKELY

UNLIKELY

SIZE

LARGE

SMALL

TREND

INCREASING DANGER

SAME

DECREASING DANGER

over the next 12 hours

description

Wet Avalanches: As mountain temperatures skyrocket today, the snow will quickly thaw again and become wet and sloppy. Natural and human triggered wet loose (and potentially wet slab avalanches) are likely on the steepest aspects of all the sunlit slopes (and lower elevation shady ones). This is an easy problem to avoid. When the snow surface becomes damp and unsupportable or you start seeing roller balls cascading down from above, it's time to change to a cooler, more shady aspect.

Cornices are increasingly sensitive with the sun and warm weather and often break back further than expected. Give them a wide berth and avoid travel below them. They may also - if large enough - be enough of a trigger to pry out deeper avalanches below.

Roof-avalanches: Buildings are starting to shed their winter snow, so look up and avoid travel below steep roofs.

weather

The ridge of high pressure moves off to the east as a large scale Pacific trof begins to cradle the west. A series of storms move through this week and into the weekend will bring snowfall to the moutains but details are shy at this time. For today, we'll see increasing clouds and southerly winds with mountain temps warming to the mid to upper 30s along the higher ridgelines...and in the ballpark of 50°F in the mid-elevations.

general announcements

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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.

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