Provo Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Evelyn Lees

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The last of the Brighton Discount tickets have been reduced to $45, with all proceeds going to the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center.  So check it out. 

Tickets are now available for the annual Backcountry Awareness Dinner on February 13th, with registration through the Snowbird Renaissance Center.

BOTTOM LINE

Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)


Danger Rose Tutorial

Bottom Line for the Provo area mountains:

Most slopes are stable this morning, though the avalanche danger will rise to MODERATE for wet loose sluffs with daytime heating.  There is also remains an isolated MODERATE danger for triggering either an old hard wind drift, mostly likely in terrain above tree-line,  or a deep slab avalanche, mostly on north through east facing terrain at the mid and upper elevations.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

It’s another great day to stretch your legs in the clean air of the mountains.  Under the huge dome of high pressure, skies are clear, and temperatures in the Provo mountains this morning are a balmy 25 to 35 degrees, with slightly colder spots the valley and drainage bottoms.  The northerly winds are less than 10 mph at most stations, but an exposed spot in the Provo mountains is averaging 15 to 20 mph.

Snow surface conditions are a variable, but slowly improving on the shady slopes as the surface snow recrystallizes and the thinner crusts break down.  Sheltered, shady slopes have some soft snow and the crusted sunny slopes will soften to a more friendly mush with heating, but there are still plenty of old wind slabs and variable crusts to provide all the challenging turning conditions you could want.

RECENT ACTIVITY

High temperatures jumped 5 to 8 degrees yesterday, setting off a roller derby on steep sunny slopes.  A few of these got carried away, turning into large class 2’s in the steep south facing gullies above Little Cottonwood road (photos HERE and HERE).  The only other avalanche activity reported yesterday was another wet loose slide, skier triggered beneath a heated rock face.

THREAT #1
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 10 hours.

So once again, as the day heats up, the steep, sunny slopes will get wet and sloppy.  When the roller balls start racing each other down hill, and it becomes possible to send the damp snow down slope in a “push-a-lanche”, it’s time to move to a cooler aspect.  Especially avoid continuously steep terrain or terrain traps such as gullies.  Provo has many steep, southerly facing paths similar to Little Cottonwood that could produce long running wet sluffs with big debris piles.

THREAT #2
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

There are two other isolated avalanche problems.  First, is the chance of triggering a deeper slide on the facets near the ground.  It’s very unlikely where the snowpack is deep, but avoid the shallow, often rocky, snowpack areas.   Here is a photo of a slide remotely triggered yesterday in the currently more dangerous Uinta Mountains where the snowpack is shallower and weaker.  Check out the Uinta advisory here.  

And second, there may be a few stubborn, hard wind slabs that could be triggered on steep slopes, most widespread at the higher elevations and along ridgelines. 

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

The string of warm, sunny days in the mountains will continue, with highs today in the mid 30’s along the ridges, and mid 40’s at 8,000’.  The northeasterly winds may pick up slightly this afternoon across the higher peaks, blowing in the 10 to 20 mph range, with gusts to 30.   Another solid freeze tonight, with a copy cat day tomorrow.  No real change until the middle of next week, when slightly cooler air is forecast to start filtering into the area.  However, it doesn’t look like a serious chance for new snow until next weekend. 

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Yesterday, Wasatch Powderbird Guides skied in Cardiff, Mineral, Porter, Alexander, American Fork and Cascade.  Today they may be Cardiff, Days, Silver, Mineral, Grizzly, Mill Creek, American Fork, and Cascade.  Their operations planning page is here.

 

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center is hosting a Level 2 avalanche class in February which is now open for registration by going to the Black Diamond retail store.  More information is HERE.  

 

Beacon training parks are up and running!  There is one at Snowbasin, one on the Park City side at the top of Canyon’s gondola, one in Little Cottonwood near the Snowbird parking structure on the bypass road, and in Big Cottonwood a training  park is at the west end of Solitude's lower parking lot.

If you want to get this avalanche advisory e-mailed to you daily click HERE.

For a text only version, the link is on the left side bar, near the top.

UDOT highway avalanche control work info can be found by calling (801) 975-4838. Our statewide toll free line is 1-888-999-4019 (early morning, option 8).

The UAC depends on contributions from users like you to support our work.  To find out more about how you can support our efforts to continue providing the avalanche forecasting and education that you expect please visit our Friends page.

Your snow and avalanche observations help everyone in the backcountry community.  Please let us know what you're seeing by leaving a message at (801) 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140, or email us at uac@utahavalanchecenter.org. (Fax 801-524-6301).

The information in this advisory is from the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content.  This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.  This advisory does not apply to ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally conducted.

Brett Kobernik will update this advisory by 7:30 tomorrow morning.

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.

This advisory provided by the USDA Forest Service, in partnership with:

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, Utah Division of Emergency Management, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake Unified Fire Authority and the friends of the La Sal Avalanche Center. See our Sponsors Page for a complete list.